The Round Tower

published 1749/1750

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Associated Names
Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Artist, Venetian, 1720 - 1778

This is a drawing of an architectural interior with grand staircases. The drawing shows a large, cavernous space filled with towering stone structures, massive staircases, and ornate details. Multiple arches and vaulted ceilings are depicted, with bridges and railings crossing the space in complex patterns. The drawing has a sense of depth and scale, with heavy shading and detailed line work creating rich textures and intricate architectural details, giving it a mysterious, dream-like quality.

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Artwork overview

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Philip Hofer. Ferdinando Salamon, Milan. Armando Neerman.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1994

  • The Glory of Venice, Royal Academy of Arts, London, and National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1994, 392, 393, 484, no. 276 (repro. p. 393)(entry by Olimpia Theodoli).

1996

  • Obras Maestras de la National Gallery of Art, Museo Nacional de Antropologîa, Mexico City, 1996-1997, pp. 130-131,

Bibliography

1918

  • Focillon 26.

1922

  • Hind 3.

1986

  • Robison, Andrew. Piranesi Early Architectural Fantasies: A Catalogue Raisonne of the Etchings. Washington: National Gallery of Art; Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1986.

1994

  • The Glory of Venice. Exh. cat. Royal Academy of Arts, London; National Gallery of Art, Washington; Museo del Settecento Veneziano - Ca'Rezzonico, Venice; Gallerie dell'Accademia, Venice, 1994-1995: no. 276.

Watermarks

Fleur-de-lis (Robison 5)

Wikidata ID

Q65568921

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