Input of an old high school 

Giovanni Battista Piranesi made this etching titled 'Input of an old high school'. The print exemplifies his style of vedute, or views, of grand Roman architecture, though in this case, the architecture is an imagined combination of real and invented structures. This image creates meaning through dramatic contrasts of light and shadow, and a deliberate manipulation of scale which speaks to the grand traditions of the Roman Empire. Piranesi was working in the 18th century, a time when classical antiquity was seen as the foundation of European culture and civilization, and the art academy, or 'high school', was the institution that taught and preserved those values. But his Roman scenes do not reflect a specific time; instead, they are a layered amalgamation of present and past. The study of Piranesi's etchings requires careful attention to the artist's sources and intentions. By consulting contemporary architectural treatises, archaeological reports, and the artist's own writings, we can better understand the complex cultural context in which his works were created.