Dimensions 16 7/16 x 21 11/16 in. (41.75 x 55.09 cm) (plate)
Giovanni Battista Piranesi created this print, titled "The Gothic Arch," using etching and engraving techniques. Piranesi’s intricate cross-hatching emphasizes the weight and scale of this impossible architectural space. The print’s dark tonality contributes to its mysterious and awe-inspiring atmosphere, while the texture, created by the lines and marks, adds a tactile dimension to the image. Piranesi was a master printmaker. His skill was in full evidence as he manipulated the copper plate to create an astonishing level of detail. The labor-intensive processes of etching and engraving, which involve covering a metal plate with wax, incising lines, and then applying acid to bite into the metal, reflect a time before industrial modes of artistic production. The final image required considerable printing expertise, which was part of a wider economy of labor, politics, and consumption. Ultimately, Piranesi elevates printmaking to the level of high art, reflecting his training as an architect and stage designer.
Comments
In his training as a young architect, Piranesi learned techniques of Baroque stage design, which he used to impart grandeur to his drawings. He was especially fond of oblique projections—slanting forms that create a strong sensation of space—and their manipulation through subtle shifts of perspective. He often included tiny human figures to provide a sense of scale.
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