Campo Vaccino 1772
giovannibattistapiranesi
landscape illustration sketch
pen sketch
pencil sketch
etching
ink drawing experimentation
pen-ink sketch
traditional art medium
watercolour illustration
italy
pencil art
watercolor
Giovanni Battista Piranesi's 1772 etching, *Campo Vaccino*, depicts the ruins of the Roman Forum, a site of great historical and architectural significance. Piranesi, known for his dramatic and often fantastical depictions of ancient Rome, captures the grandeur of the ruins, emphasizing their imposing scale and the passage of time. The composition, framed by the imposing columns of the Temple of Saturn, draws the viewer's eye across the vast, empty space of the Forum, highlighting the contrast between the past and present. The etching is a powerful reminder of the rise and fall of civilizations, and a testament to Piranesi's mastery of perspective and detail.
Comments
By Piranesi’s day, the grand Roman Forum had become the Campo Vaccino—the “cow field.” Three columns topped by a bit of crumbling entablature were all that remained of the Temple of Castor and Pollux, twins known as the Gemini. According to legend, the brave brothers helped the young republic defeat the last of Rome’s tyrant kings. The temple was dedicated in the year 6 CE. At the far left is the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina, completed in 141 CE. Emperor Antoninus dedicated it to his deceased and deified wife, Faustina. For a sense of scale, note that its columns are 56 feet—or about five stories—tall. The pagan structure was largely preserved because centuries later it was converted into a church. In the distance, we can see the Colosseum, the huge ancient Roman amphitheater, and the Basilica of Constantine.
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