Roman Prison

second half 18th century

French 18th Century Follower of Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Associated Names
French 18th Century

Artist

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Related Artist, Venetian, 1720 - 1778

This is a painting of a grand architectural interior with a network of staircases. The image features a vast, labyrinthine space with multiple levels and arches. The central focus is a large pillar with a decorated capital, supporting a high arched ceiling. Staircases lead up and down in various directions, creating a sense of depth and complexity. The walls are adorned with classical architectural elements such as pediments and pilasters, and an intricate railing runs along the staircases. The painting uses a palette of earthy tones, highlighting the rustic textures of stone and brick. The style is reminiscent of Giovanni Battista Piranesi.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    pen and black ink with brown and gray wash heightened with white gouache over traces of graphite on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Gift of Gertrude Laughlin Chanler

  • Dimensions

    overall: 21.3 x 15.5 cm (8 3/8 x 6 1/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2000.9.21

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Mme. Marielle Leithe, Nice. Hon. Irwin Boyle Laughlin, Washington, D.C.; his wife, Therese Iselin Laughlin, Washington, D.C., 1941; their daughter, Gertrude Laughlin Chanler, New York, 1958; gift to NGA, 2000.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1982

  • Eighteenth Century Drawings from the Collection of Mrs. Gertrude Laughlin Chanler, NGA, Washington, D.C., 1982, no. 18.

Inscriptions

by later hand, upper right verso in graphite: Mme Marielle Leithe / Bd (not deciphered) 3 Nice; by later hand, center verso in graphite: 14 / 15.368 (printed label); by later hand, upper left verso in graphite: Panini; ruled lines in graphite on verso

Wikidata ID

Q64570798

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