Details 

This print was made by Giovanni Battista Piranesi in 18th century Italy, using etching. It depicts architectural details, revealing Piranesi’s understanding of design and construction. Piranesi's intense interest in classical architecture can be understood in light of his social context. Educated in Venice, he moved to Rome, drawn by the city’s rich history. Rome was the centre of artistic and intellectual life in Europe at the time. Patrons and scholars alike found themselves in Rome, and a market developed for visual records of its ancient buildings. This print speaks to the rise of archaeology as a scholarly discipline during the Enlightenment. It fueled a fascination with the past, and a desire to understand the roots of Western civilization. Art historians look at details like Piranesi's technique, his patrons, and the intellectual environment to understand the social forces that shaped his work. In libraries and archives, one can trace the networks of patronage and the currents of ideas that make the art of the past meaningful today.