Statue of Minerva by Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Statue of Minerva 1748

print, etching

light pencil work

ink painting

print

etching

pencil sketch

incomplete sketchy

ink drawing experimentation

pen-ink sketch

traditional art medium

italy

mixed medium

pencil art

watercolor

This etching, "Statue of Minerva," created in 1748 by Giovanni Battista Piranesi, depicts the Roman goddess Minerva in a fantastical landscape. The artwork is characterized by its dramatic composition, featuring a central figure of Minerva seated amidst crumbling ruins, overgrown with foliage and vines. The artwork showcases Piranesi's interest in ancient Roman architecture and his ability to create evocative and romantic landscapes. The etching, housed in the Minneapolis Institute of Art, is a testament to Piranesi’s mastery of line and detail.

Comments

minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

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Piranesi’s views of Rome seem to document the city, but they distort reality for expressive purposes. This opening image for the series makes clear that for Piranesi, Rome’s ruins were fuel for dreams and fantasies. Here Minerva, Roman goddess of wisdom and the arts, presides amid tumbledown splendor. At the upper left, Hercules, symbol of strength, has turned away from this place. With Piranesi’s help, we can recreate in our minds the lost grandeur of this mighty imperial capital. Our hearts might beat faster before this imagined glory, yet we may also mourn its passing as we follow Piranesi’s ramble through the wreckage.