Giovanni Battista Piranesi was an 18th century Italian artist and architect who is renowned for his etchings of Rome and reconstructions of classical structures. He studied architecture under his uncle in Venice and Rome. Piranesi is best known for his series of etchings called "Vedute di Roma" which depicted the buildings and ruins of Rome and had a significant influence on Neoclassical architecture. His works also influenced many other artists through their depictions of classical antiquity as well as their imaginative reconstructions and hyperbolic designs. Piranesi had a profound impact on Neoclassical architecture and continued to inspire Surrealist and film artists in the 20th century through his imaginative works

1. DSDN 171
Giovanni Piranesi

2. Giovanni Battista Piranesi
1720 Italy - 1778 Italy
Architect
Also encompassed the graphic arts, archeology, interior design, political
debate, the decorative arts & the restoration of classical antiquities.

3. Life:
- First 20 years of his life in Venice
- Piranesi studied as an architect under his Uncle Matteo
Lucchesi.
- In 1740 Giovanni over to Rome where he spent most of
his life, and developed his etching skills.
Work:
- Vedute di Rome.
- Prima parte di architture e prospettive, 1943.
- Le antichità romane. 1756, the antiquities of Rome
- Della magnificenza ed architettura de' Romani. 1761
AND Il Campo Marzio dell'antica Roma. 1762

4. Giovanni was influenced by:
Family:
- Andrea (Brother), who introduced him to Latin
and ancient civilisation.
- (Father), A stone mason and master builder.
- Matteo Lucchesi (Uncle), Venetian engineer
and specialized in excavation.
Designers:
- The tradition of typographical art represented
by Canaletto (A italian landscape painter,
printmaker, etcher)
- Also Marco Ricci and Giovanni Battista Tiepolo
(Both etchers)

5. Giovannis influence during his life:
- “On Roman antiquity and exerted a major
influence on many of the leading architects and
designers of European neoclassicism.”
- In 1745 Giovanni influenced visiting artists,
architects and patrons in Rome for the
following 4 decades. This allowed him to exert a
critical influence on the development of Avant-
garde British architecture.

14. From Le style Piranesi, époque
Louis XVI (The Piranesi style,
Louis XVI period), by Édouard Rouveyre,
Paris, circa 1908.
Shows his influence on later works.

15. Giovanni Piranesi's Influence on Other Artists
• Piranesi’s artworks hugely influenced neoclassicism. Neoclassical design is
also continuously used throughout the 20th and 21st century.
• His prints depicting buildings of classical and postclassical Rome
contributed to Rome’s fame and the growth of classical archaeology and
the neoclassical movement in art.
• The etched plates of the Vedute di Roma helped sculpt Europe's view of
classical design, and these prints influenced other designers.
• Piranesi's may have not been an influence as an architect but his
romanticized views, imaginary interiors and hyper exaggerated images
inspired designers, writers and painters.

16. • Hubert Robert (22 May 1733 – 15 April 1808), was a French painter, noted
for his landscape paintings and depictions of ruins. Robert spent some of
his time with young artists in the circle of Piranesi. Piranesi had a huge
influence on his paintings
G.B Piranesi Vestibolo d'antico Tempio
(Vestibule of an ancient temple),c 1743, Etching, H. Robert, The Finding of the Laocoon, c
258 x 350 mm 1773, painting

17. • William Beckford, the author of the Gothic novel, Vathek (1786) wrote, “I
drew chasms, and subterranean hollows, the domain of fear and torture,
with chains, racks, wheels and dreadful engines in the style of Piranesi.”
• M. C. Escher (Maurits Cornelis Escher) was a Dutch Graphic Artist among
those possibly inspired by Piranesi. Escher’s later works became
progressively more complex and increasingly Surrealist
G. B. Piranesi Carceri Plate VII - M. C. Escher Relativity, c 1953,
The Drawbridge, c 1745, print Lithograph

18. • Giovanni Battista Piranesi inspired Dante Ferretti, an Italian production
designer, art director and costume designer for films. Dante Ferretti has
designed for movies such as Gangs of New York (2002) Sweeney Todd: The
Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) and Shutter Island (2010)
• 20th & 21st Century influence:In the 20th century his imaginary
interiors have been admired by Surrealists and provided source material
for horror film set designers. Piranesi's images have influenced movies
from Metropolis and Blade Runner to the moving staircases at Hogwarts.

19. Two major socio-political influences:
- European Enlightenment
- Graeco-Roman debate

20. Personal circumstances:
- trained as architect
- supported by Venetian Pope Clement XIII

21. Giovanni Piranesi
Researched by - Christie Higgins, Grace
Hemara, James Bodnar
Presented by - Helen Williams

22. Referencing:
- Slide 1 through till 4:
John, W.E. (1978). The mind and art of Giovanni Piranesi. London: Thames and Hudson
- Quote on 5th slide:
APA: Jonathan, D. (2004). Europe, 1450 to 1789: Encyclopedia of the Early Modern World. (Volume
6: pp. 482 – 485). New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons.
- slides 6 through 9
-Piranesi, G. B (1756). View of the Via Appia. Retrieved April 4, 2013, from
http://www.artchive.com/web_gallery/G/Giovanni-Battista-Piranesi/The-paving-of-the-Via-Appia-
Antica,-from-Le-Antichita-Romane-de-G.B.-Piranesi-1756,-published-in-Paris,-1835.html
-Piranesi, G. B. (1748). Fantasy of ruins with statue of minerva. Frontispiece of the Series “Views of
Rome”, Roman Edition; Etching on paper
-Piranesi, G. B. (1750). Imperial Mausoleum, retrieved April 4, 2013 from
http://seattle.urbansketchers.org/2012/12/piranesi-urban-etcher.html
-Piranesi, G. B. (1756). Via Appia Imaginaria. retrieved April 4, 2013 from
http://www.architecture.com/LibraryDrawingsAndPhotographs/OnlineWorkshops/RomingRome/09Pira
nesi.aspx

23. Slides 10 through 14
- Piranesi, G. B. (1750). Pyramid of Cestius. retrieved April 4, 2013 from
http://www.jahsonic.com/Piranesi.html
- Piranesi, G. B. (1753). Two sides of sedan chairs, two tables to the wall, two clocks, three coffee
makers, a frieze. Retrieved april 4, 2013 from http://www.wikipaintings.org/en/giovanni-battista-
piranesi/two-sides-of-sedan-chairs-two-tables-to-the-wall-two-clocks-three-coffee-makers-a-frieze
-Piranesi, G. B. (1769). Side table for Monsignor Rezzonico. retrieved april 6, 2013 fom
http://www.johncoulthart.com/feuilleton/2007/09/29/piranesi-as-designer/
- Rouveyre, E. (1908). Le style Piranesi, époque Louis XVI (The Piranesi style, Louis XVI period).
retrieved april 6, 2013 from http://theillustratedencyclopediaof.tumblr.com/

24. Slides 15 to 18:
- J.Jones, The Guardian, No Way Out (2002). Retrieved April 7th, 2013 from
http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2002/nov/06/artsfeatures.highereducation
- S. West, (1996) The Bulfinch Guide to Art History: A Comprehensive Survey and Dictionary of Western
Art and Architecture , Little, Brown and Company, Retrieved April 7th, 2013 from
http://www.artchive.com/artchive/P/piranesi.html
- Baroque and Rococo. Retrieved April 7th, 2013 from http://www.all-art.org/history294-3.html
- J. Altdorfer, Inside A Fantastical Mind (2008). Retrieved April 7th, 2013 from
http://www.carnegiemuseums.org/cmag/article.php?id=123
- G.B Piranesi Vestibolo d'antico Tempio (Vestibule of an ancient temple),c 1743, Etching. Retrieved April
8th, 2013 from http://www.aucklandartgallery.com/
-H. Robert, The Finding of the Laocoon, (c 1773), painting. Retrieved April 8th, 2013 from
fhttp://www.mutualart.com/Artwork/The-Finding-of-the-Laocoon/257DC9D7D3EC9167
- G. B. Piranesi Carceri Plate VII - The Drawbridge, (c 1745), print Retrieved April 8th, 2013 from
http://artsy.net/artwork/giovanni-battista-piranesi-the-drawbridge-plate-vii-from-the-series-carceri-
dinvenzione
- M. C. Escher Relativity, (c 1953), Lithograph Retrieved April 8th, 2013 from http://www.mcescher.com/