The Drawbridge

1761, published 1780s

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Associated Names
Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Artist, Venetian, 1720 - 1778
The artwork features a complex arrangement of intersecting lines and geometric shapes, depicting a drawbridge. The composition includes a series of arches, staircases, and platforms, resembling a labyrinthine structure. The intricate details and overlapping elements connect to architectural forms and mechanical constructs, creating depth and perspective. The overall effect is of an elaborate machine or an immense architectural space.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    etching, engraving, and scratching

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Dimensions

    plate: 54.7 x 41.1 cm (21 9/16 x 16 3/16 in.)
    sheet: 68.3 x 53 cm (26 7/8 x 20 7/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1943.3.6992

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Robison 1986, no. 33, State v/vi

  • Series Title

    Carceri (Imaginary Prisons)

Artwork history & notes

Exhibition History

1934

  • Giovanni Battista Piranesi, Pennsylvania Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA, 1934.

1959

  • Prints from the Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection, University of Nebraska Art Galleries, Lincoln, 1959, no catalogue.

1961

  • Piranesi Prints, Andrew Dickson White Museum of Art, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 1961.

1965

  • Master Prints, William Penn Memorial Museum, Harrisburg, PA, 1965-1966.

  • Drolleries and Demons: Six Centuries of 'Fantastic' Prints, IBM Gallery, New York, NY, 1965, no. 35 (as "The Prison. Plate 7"), repro.

2001

  • The Unfinished Print, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2001, repro.

2004

  • The Unfinished Print, The Frick Collection, New York; Städelsches Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt am Main, 2004-2005.

Bibliography

1918

  • Focillon 30.

1922

  • Hind 7.

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.

Wikidata ID

Q65020180

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