In this edition you will discover his intricate imagination and meticulousness, which shaped the European image of Italy and influenced generations of artists, designers and filmmakers, from Edgar Allan Poe to the moving staircases of Hogwarts.

Edition: Multilingual (German, French, English)

Archaeology and imagination

Impossible staircases and astonishing ruins by the Italian master engraver

The most famous copperplate engraver of the 18th century, Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-1778) became known for his etchings of ancient Rome. His stunning chiaroscuro images infused such drama and romanticism into the archaeological ruins of the city that they became favourite souvenirs for distinguished tourists who travelled to Italy in search of classical education and culture.
Today, Piranesi is known not only for having made Rome's image known to the rest of Europe, but also for his elaborate series of bizarre prisons, Carceri, which have influenced generations of creators, from the Surrealists to Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Edgar Allan Poe, Jorge Luis Borges and Franz Kafka.
Based loosely on contemporary sets rather than the authentic dungeons of Piranesi's time, these intricate images defy architectural reality to play with perspective, lighting and scale. Staircases exist on two planes at the same time; huge, vaulted ceilings seem to rise towards the firmament; the interior is confused with the exterior. With a low viewpoint and small, fragile figures, the prison scenes become monstrous mega-cities of confinement, hitherto considered masterpieces of existentialist drama.

About the author

Luigi Ficaccistudied art history in Rome under Giulio Carlo Argan. For many years he was curator of the Istituto Nazionale per la Grafica in Rome and superintendent of cultural property in Bologna and Lucca, and taught at various Italian universities. Until 2021, he was director of the Istituto Centrale per il Restauro (Central Institute for Restoration) in Rome. His research work focuses on issues related to Italian and European art of the 17th and 18th centuries and contemporary art.

Publisher: Taschen