Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Castel Sant'Angelo

Castel Sant'Angelo by Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Artwork Detail

Piranesi exaggerates scale and detail to heighten the sense of drama within the scene. Originally the Mausoleum of Hadrian, Castel Sant' Angelo became a place of refuge for Pope Clement VII during the Sack of Rome in 1527. A marble statue of an angel was first erected on the roof in 590 AD. It celebrated the moment when, during a procession to stop the plague, Pope Gregory saw the Archangel Michael sheathing his sword. This was replaced with a bronze sculpture of the Archangel in 1752.

Title
Castel Sant'Angelo
Artist/creator
Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Production date
1754
Medium
etching
Dimensions
432 x 559 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 1962
Accession no
1962/10/1
Copyright
No known copyright restrictions
Department
International Art
Display status
Not on display

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