Another extension as above 1778

This print, made by Giovanni Battista Piranesi, is an etching - that is, a design incised in acid on a metal plate, then inked and printed. Look closely, and you can see how this process lends itself to a particular kind of drawing. Notice the composition; it has an astonishing level of detail, teeming with human figures. But what Piranesi really wants to show us is the built environment. These once-great buildings are now in ruin. Piranesi was not just interested in the grandeur of the architecture. He also wanted to understand how these buildings were made, and how they were used. Here, he almost performs an act of reverse engineering, breaking down the architectural ensemble into its material components: stone blocks, columns, and so on. Consider this print as a record of material culture. It makes us think about the labor involved in the original construction, and the long, slow work of decay. By emphasizing the ruinous state, Piranesi blurs the lines between high art and the everyday realities of labor, history, and time.