Antique ancient altar with surrounding ruins

The fields around Rome were littered with fragments of ancient ruins, and it was not uncommon for farmers to break through the roof of a buried tomb when ploughing their fields. At the time, collectors queued up to purchase the items removed after such a find, carrying off bronze and earthenware, as well as architectural fragments, before all that remained was destroyed by renewed cultivation. Rather than mere curiosity, Piranesi had a genuine antiquarian desire to record some of the main tombs before they vanished forever.

To find out which artworks are available for print requests and reproduction please enquire here. This service only applies to select artworks in the Gallery's collection.