Artwork Information

The tomb of Cecilia Metella on the Appian Way has had a chequered history. Called the Capo di Bove (Head of a Beast) because of the frieze of ox skulls beneath the battlements, the building changed form in the Middle Ages when the Caetani family transformed it into a fortress.

Piranesi continued working on his Views of Rome throughout his lifetime. His later plates pushed his techniques of etching and composition to remarkable heights, while his recording of the ancient relics of the city have been described as a profound metaphor for the transience of human achievements.