inkPaper

2021.05

Art Museum of Greater Lafayette

Gift

Art Museum of Greater Lafayette

circa 1740 - circa 1790

18th Century

Inscription

lower left

Palazzo de Cenci

Italian

Cenci Palace

Engraved

Inscription

lower center

Archyginnasio Romano

Italian

Roman Architecture

Engraved

Inscription

lower right

Piranesi F.

Latin

Engraved

F. is shorthand for fecit (made by)

9-3/4 in

14-1/2 in

BlackWhite

Acquired by the Art Museum of Greater Lafayette 1981 {1}; donated to the Purdue University Galleries in 2021 {1} 1981.09

Purdue University Galleries

A Legacy of Gifting: Donations From the Art Museum of Greater Lafayette (2023)

Exhibition label

Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-1778), Italian Archigynnasio Romano, ca. 1740-1790 Ink on paper etching 2021.05.16 Pictured is the University of Rome from a series titled Le Veduite di Roma (Views of Rome) by the artist and early archaeologist Piranesi. Piranesi was highly regarded for his meticulous etchings of famous architectural sites around Italy. In the 17th through 19th centuries, wealthy young men would travel to Italy and Greece as part of their formal education. Called the Grand Tour it is akin to a very extended study abroad. Works like this print were popular souvenirs because they were portable and relatively inexpensive. The inclusion of small figures, known as staffage, help show the scale of the buildings.