Frieze, Soffits, Columns, plate 9 from Trofei di Ottaviano Augusto innalzati per la vittoria ad Actium e conquista dell’Egitto con vari altri ornamenti antichi
Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Description
Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Italy, 1720–1778
Frieze, Soffits, Columns, plate 9 from Trofei di Ottaviano
Augusto innalzati per la vittoria ad Actium e conquista
dell’Egitto con vari altri ornamenti antichi (Trophies of
Octavian Augustus erected to commemorate the victory at
Actium and the conquest of Egypt)
1753
Etching on laid paper
Gift of Professor Walter M. and Nesta R. Spink, 1985/2.133
Subject Matter:
This etching was published as plate 9 in the 1753 edition of "Trophy of Octavian Augustus," a series of prints depicting Roman architectural decorations drawn and etched by Piranesi, which were intended to be of use to painters, sculptors, and architects. Piranesi's composite technique combines disparate examples of columns, friezes, and relief decorations on the same sheet of paper, appended with a key identifying each fragment in the lower margin of the image. The etching is replete with useful information, but it also serves as a tour de force of draftsmanship in its own right, as simple and more complex designs overlap each other in this trompe l'oeil collage.
Physical Description:
A black and white etching depicting several fragments of friezes and columns, followed by textual descriptions in Italian.
Usage Rights:
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