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Giovanni Battista Piranesi, Italian, 1720-1778
Title: The Trevi Fountain, Rome
Date: c.1773
Medium: Line and etching
Dimensions:
Sheet: 77.5 x 52.4 cm
Plate: 47.7 x 47.7 cm
Credit Line: Provenance unknown
Object Number: NGI.20832
DescriptionBorn in Venice, Piranesi settled permanently in Rome in 1745. At an early stage he developed a highly original etching technique, producing rich textures and bold contrasts of light and shadow through repeated bitings of the plate. From the late 1740s until his death he produced plates for his 'Vedute di Roma' (Views of Rome) series. Designed to be framed and displayed, these views were popular with the 'grand tourists' visiting Rome. The birds-eye perspective, which is typical of his work, alludes to his interest in set design. He often adopted an artificially high viewpoint to make the composition more dramatic.