The Staircase with Trophies

published 1749/1750

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Associated Names
Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Artist, Venetian, 1720 - 1778

This is a drawing of an elaborate architectural fantasy scene featuring a grand staircase and complex structures. The drawing depicts a vast interior space filled with arches, staircases, and towering columns. The use of cross-hatching creates a sense of depth and shadows, emphasizing the monumental size and complex structure of the environment. There is a large staircase that dominates the foreground, leading to different levels within the structure. The intricate details suggest an architectural labyrinth, with various walkways and ledges connecting the different parts of the space. The artwork is detailed and captures a fantastical, otherworldly setting that invites exploration through its dynamic composition. The artist skillfully utilizes linework to depict the grandiosity and intricacy of the fictional architecture.

Media Options

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Artwork overview


Artwork history & notes

Bibliography

1918

  • Focillon 31.

1922

  • Hind 8.

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.

Watermarks

Fleur-de-lis (Robison 5)

Wikidata ID

Q65568927

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