The "Well," for Violators of State Law

1797

Giovanni De Pian, after Francesco Galimberti

Associated Names
Giovanni De Pian

Artist, Italian, 1764 - 1800

Francesco Galimberti

Artist After, Italian, 1755 - 1803

This is a drawing of two figures in a dark, enclosed space. A flame casts light on the scene, creating harsh shadows. On the left, one figure is kneeling, holding a torch, showing intense emotion. On the right, another figure lies on the ground with a resigned look. The surroundings include a stairway and bare stone walls, creating an atmosphere of solitude and hardship.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    etching and aquatint on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund

  • Dimensions

    plate: 24.5 × 30.5 cm (9 5/8 × 12 in.)
    sheet: 30 × 41.1 cm (11 13/16 × 16 3/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2016.168.2

  • Series Title

    I Pozzi e i Piombi di Venezia (The Wells and Leads of Venice) [plate 3]

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

(Mr. James A. Bergquist, Newton Centre, MA); purchased 2016 by NGA.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2021

  • Aquatint: From Its Origins to Goya, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2021 - 2022.

Bibliography

2021

  • Hoisington, Rena. Aquatint: From Its Origins to Goya. Washington, 2021: 235, fig. 1

Inscriptions

in plate, below image, at left: Gallimberti del.; in plate, below image, at right: de Pian incise; lower center in plate: Pozzo primo sotto l'ultima scala, ove s'impritionavano li delinquenti per materia di Stato / No. 3; Piedi 3 Veneti

Wikidata ID

Q77258817

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