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Piranesi
The Complete Etchings
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Piranesi
$22000
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
This book is ideal for enthusiasts of art, architecture, European history, and lovers of poetic and surreal visual culture. It suits readers interested in classical antiquity, printmaking, and the lasting influence of imaginative art on literature and design.
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See moreExplore the complete etchings of Giovanni Battista Piranesi, the 18th-century engraver famed for his architectural views of Rome and his imaginary prisons. In this edition, you'll find all the extraordinary detail and fantasy with which Piranesi shaped not only the European image of Italy, but also an impressive artistic legacy, from Edgar Allan Poe to the moving staircases at Hogwarts.
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
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Description
The most famous 18th-century copper engraver, Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-1778), made his name with etchings of ancient Rome. His startling, chiaroscuro images imbued the city's archaeological ruins with drama and romance and became favourite souvenirs for the Grand Tourists who travelled Italy in pursuit of classical culture and education.
Today, Piranesi is renowned not just for shaping the European imagination of Rome, but also for his elaborate series of fanciful prisons, Carceri, which have influenced generations of creatives since, from the Surrealists to Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Edgar Allan Poe, Jorge Luis Borges, and Franz Kafka.
Loosely based on contemporary stage sets rather than the actual dingy dungeons of Piranesi's day, these intricate images defy architectural reality to play instead with perspective, lighting, and scale. Staircases exist on two planes simultaneously; vast, vaulted ceilings seem to soar up to the heavens; interior and exterior distinctions collapse. With a low viewpoint and small, fragile figures, the prison scenes become monstrous megacities of incarceration, celebrated to this day as masterworks of existentialist drama.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
The New York Times praises this oversize coffee table book as a poetic tribute to Rome's crumbling monuments through Piranesi's masterful prints. Horace Walpole compares Piranesi's artistic fervour to that of Salvator Rosa, Michelangelo, and Rubens, highlighting his fierce and exuberant style.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9783836587617
Publisher: Taschen GmbH
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 24 June 2022
Country: Germany
Imprint: Taschen GmbH
Edition: Multilingual edition
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 45.0mm
Width: 250.0mm
Height: 340.0mm
Weight: 4357g
Pages: 788
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About the Author
Luigi Ficacci studied art history in Rome under Giulio Carlo Argan. For many years, he was curator at the Istituto Nazionale per la Grafica in Rome and general museum director (Soprintendente ai Beni Culturali) in Bologna and in Lucca. He also lectured at various Italian universities. Until 2021, he was director of the Central Institute for Restoration (Istituto centrale per il restauro) in Rome. The focal points of his research work are the issues raised by 17th and 18th century and contemporary Italian and European art.
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