Artwork Information

Much of the Prima parte di architetture e prospettive depicted new buildings rather than the crumbled glories of Rome's ancient architecture. This reflected Piranesi's need to earn money, but was also in keeping with his academic training which had focused on Barbaro's Vitruvius (1556). Gradually, however, his desire to resurrect the history of the city's ancient architecture overtook this more didactic approach to recording buildings. At the same time, he experimented with his etchers' burin to create softer, more painterly effects. This created contrasts of line and tone through repeated bitings, achieving a virtuosity unparalleled in his time.