Cover Page. Above the eagle of the Holy Apostles Roman portico at the bottom of the vases in the Vatican Library Collection Ghezzi On a slab of marble, the inscription in relief. 1778

This etching, *Cover Page* (1778), was created by the renowned Italian artist Giovanni Battista Piranesi. The intricate design features an eagle perched within a laurel wreath, reminiscent of Roman iconography, with the inscription "A Sua Eccellenza il Sig. General Schovaloff, Promotore delle Belle Arti, il Cavaliere Gio Battista Piranesi Architetto Tomo Secondo," honoring a patron of the arts. Piranesi was famous for his dramatic, detailed architectural engravings, often depicting ancient Roman ruins, and this piece showcases his meticulous approach to detail, blurring the line between reality and imagination.