A two-tiered arcaded amphitheater with a partial three-tiered colonnade on the left.

Anfiteatro di Verona.

Artist Giovanni Battista Piranesi (Italian, 1720 - 1778)

Datec. 1748

MediumEtching on paper

DimensionsPlate: 5 1/8 × 10 1/4 inches (13 × 26 cm)

Portfolio/SeriesPlate 25, "Antichità romane de’ tempi della repubblica e de’ primi imperatori disegnate ed incise da Giambattista Prianesi architetetto veneziano" series

Credit LineGift of Mrs. Julianna F. Waring.

Object number2020.17.22

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Not on view

CopyrightThe images and text contained on this page are owned by Telfair Museums or used by the Museum with permission from the owners. Unauthorized reproduction, transmission or display of these materials is prohibited with the exception of items deemed “fair use” as defined by U.S. and international copyright laws.Label TextThe Arena (amphitheater) in the city of Verona, built in 30 CE, is smaller than the Colosseum in Rome but older and significantly more intact. Both have been tourist attractions for centuries, and in 1748 architect and printmaker Giovanni Battista Piranesi produced a series of 28 etchings depicting these and other famous ancient Roman monuments, intended for sale to culture-curious travelers. The prints demonstrate his command of linear perspective, but they also include atmospheric details like vegetation, stone fragments, and clusters of tiny figures. The artist's use of energetic hatching and squiggly lines give his etchings the immediacy of an informal sketch, although hundreds were printed to satisfy the appetite of tourists and collectors.

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