Le Rovine del Castello dell'Acqua Giulia Situato in Roma presso S. Eusebio e Falsamente detto dell'Acqua Marcia…
| Reference: | S10112 |
| Author | Giovan Battista PIRANESI |
| Year: | 1761 |
| Printed: | Rome |
| Measures: | 290 x 450 mm |
€750.00
| Reference: | S10112 |
| Author | Giovan Battista PIRANESI |
| Year: | 1761 |
| Printed: | Rome |
| Measures: | 290 x 450 mm |
€750.00
Description
Etching with engraving, 1761, signed at lower right.
Title page of 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].
The date and place of publication, 'In Roma MDCCLXI', are stated in the colophon.
The book describes the ruins in the Piazza Vittorio Emanuele that constitute the only surviving relic of an ancient Roman 'castellum aquarum' or terminus of an aqueduct - in this case the Aqua Julia, built by Agrippa in 33 B.C. In the third century this was made into a magnificent nymphaeum by the emperor Alexander Severus; of which some surviving sculptures - known as 'the trophies of Marius' - were removed in 1590 by Pope Sixtus V to the balustrade of the Capitol, where they may still be seen.
Fortunately engravings were made of the remains as they stood in the 16th century. They gave the architects of Sixtus V and Paul V an indication of what an ancient terminal fountain had been like, and influenced the designs of the Fountain of Moses, the terminal fountain of the Acqua Felice, the Acqua Paola on the Janiculum and the Fontana di Trevi.
A fine impression, printed on contemporary laid paper, with margins, perfect condition.
Literature
National Gallery (Washington), Mark J. Millard, 4 (2000), 89; RIBA, Early printed books, 3 (1999), no.2565; Giovanni Battista Piranesi: the complete etchings, ed. J. Wilton-Ely (1994), 529-552; J. Wilton-Ely, Piranesi [exhibition catalogue] (1978), 147; A.M. Hind, Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1922 repr. 1978), 85; H. Focillon, Giovanni-Battista Piranesi (1918 repr. 1964), 396-420.
Giovan Battista PIRANESI (Mogliano Veneto 1720 - Roma 1778)
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Italian etcher, engraver, designer, architect, archaeologist and theorist. He is considered one of the supreme exponents of topographical engraving, but his lifelong preoccupation with architecture was fundamental to his art. Although few of his architectural designs were executed, he had a seminal influence on European Neo-classicism through personal contacts with architects, patrons and visiting artists in Rome over the course of nearly four decades. His prolific output of etched plates, which combined remarkable flights of imagination with a strongly practical understanding of ancient Roman technology, fostered a new and lasting perception of antiquity. He was also a designer of festival structures and stage sets, interior decoration and furniture, as well as a restorer of antiquities. The interaction of this rare combination of activities led him to highly original concepts of design, which were advocated in a body of influential theoretical writings. The ultimate legacy of his unique vision of Roman civilization was an imaginative interpretation and re-creation of the past, which inspired writers and poets as much as artists and designers.
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Giovan Battista PIRANESI (Mogliano Veneto 1720 - Roma 1778)
|
Italian etcher, engraver, designer, architect, archaeologist and theorist. He is considered one of the supreme exponents of topographical engraving, but his lifelong preoccupation with architecture was fundamental to his art. Although few of his architectural designs were executed, he had a seminal influence on European Neo-classicism through personal contacts with architects, patrons and visiting artists in Rome over the course of nearly four decades. His prolific output of etched plates, which combined remarkable flights of imagination with a strongly practical understanding of ancient Roman technology, fostered a new and lasting perception of antiquity. He was also a designer of festival structures and stage sets, interior decoration and furniture, as well as a restorer of antiquities. The interaction of this rare combination of activities led him to highly original concepts of design, which were advocated in a body of influential theoretical writings. The ultimate legacy of his unique vision of Roman civilization was an imaginative interpretation and re-creation of the past, which inspired writers and poets as much as artists and designers.
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