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Title page, from Le Rovine del Castello dell'Acqua Giulia situato in Roma presso S. Eusebio, e falsamente detto dell'Acqua Marcia colla dichiarazione di uno de celebri passi del commentario Frontinano e l'esposizione della maniera con cui gli antichi Romani distribuivano le acque per uso della città (Ruins of the Fountainhead of the Acqua Giulia in Rome, near S. Eusebio and incorrectly called the Fountainhead of the Acqua Marcia, with a discussion of one of the celebrated passages from the commentary by Frontinus and an explanation of the manner in which the ancient Romans distributed the water for the use of the city)

Giovanni Battista Piranesi · 1761

Giovanni Battista Piranesi: 1720–1778

NeoclassicismItaly
Other names (10)

Dzhovanni Battista Piranezi, G. B. Piranesi, Gian Battista Piranesi, Giovan Battta Piranesi, Giovanni Battista, Giovanni Battista Piranèse, Le Piranaise, Peranisi, Perinisi, Piranèse

Biography

Giovanni Battista (or Giambattista) Piranesi (Italian pronunciation: [dʒoˈvanni batˈtista piraˈneːzi; -eːsi]; also known as simply Piranesi; 4 October 1720 – 9 November 1778) was an Italian classical archaeologist, architect, and artist, famous for his etchings of Rome and of fictitious and atmospheric "prisons" (Carceri d'invenzione). He was the father of Francesco Piranesi, Laura Piranesi and Pietro Piranesi.

Wikipedia contributors. Opening excerpt, formatted for reading. CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision.

Influenced by

  • Giuseppe Vasieditorial inference
    Evidence

    Wikidata assertion retained for review; its references, if supplied, have not been independently verified. Teaching is recorded separately and does not itself establish artistic influence.

Later influence

  • Pietro Gonzagaeditorial inference
    Evidence

    The biography identifies Giovanni Battista Piranesi as an artistic influence on Pietro Gonzaga. The biography identifies Piranesi as Gonzaga's strongest influence among the listed artists. Explicit secondary-source assertion; independent historical verification remains pending.

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Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Title page, from Le Rovine del Castello dell'Acqua Giulia situato in Roma presso S. Eusebio, e falsamente detto dell'Acqua Marcia colla dichiarazione di uno de celebri passi del commentario Frontinano e l'esposizione della maniera con cui gli antichi Romani distribuivano le acque per uso della città (Ruins of the Fountainhead of the Acqua Giulia in Rome, near S. Eusebio and incorrectly called the Fountainhead of the Acqua Marcia, with a discussion of one of the celebrated passages from the commentary by Frontinus and an explanation of the manner in which the ancient Romans distributed the water for the use of the city)

1761

Etching · The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Artwork details and sources
Dating
Exact year
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 21 5/8 x 15 3/4 in. (55 x 40 cm) Plate: 17 13/16 x 11 1/2 in. (45.3 x 29.2 cm)
Collection no.
41.71.1.9(26)
Attribution
By the artist

Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art

About this artwork

Title page, from Le Rovine del Castello dell'Acqua Giulia situato in Roma presso S. Eusebio, e falsamente detto dell'Acqua Marcia colla dichiarazione di uno de celebri passi del commentario Frontinano e l'esposizione della maniera con cui gli antichi Romani distribuivano le acque per uso della città (Ruins of the Fountainhead of the Acqua Giulia in Rome, near S. Eusebio and incorrectly called the Fountainhead of the Acqua Marcia, with a discussion of one of the celebrated passages from the commentary by Frontinus and an explanation of the manner in which the ancient Romans distributed the water for the use of the city) — Giovanni Battista Piranesi. 1761.

Medium: Etching. Dimensions: Sheet: 21 5/8 x 15 3/4 in. (55 x 40 cm) Plate: 17 13/16 x 11 1/2 in. (45.3 x 29.2 cm).

Collection record: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Museum connection according to this source; current display unverified.

Credit line: Rogers Fund, transferred from the Library.

This is a museum catalogue record, not a current-display assertion.

Source: official collection record. Metadata selected and normalized by Artline from the source export, accessed 10 September 2026; no museum endorsement. Reproduction rights are separate.

Location checked Sep 10, 2026. This does not indicate whether the work is on display.

Artwork sources