Egyptian-style fireplace, the frieze of a lion mask between two sphinxes on the sides sacred figures standing with a lion`s head 

Here is the audio guide script about the artwork provided: Giovanni Battista Piranesi created this Egyptian-style fireplace design with ink and wash, showcasing a symmetrical composition dominated by intricate, engraved details. The dark, cavernous opening of the fireplace contrasts sharply with the highly ornamented frieze, creating a visual push and pull. The frieze is structured with lion masks and sphinxes, interspersed with sacred figures, all rendered in a precise, almost archaeological style. Piranesi’s use of Egyptian motifs reflects the 18th-century fascination with antiquity, but it also destabilizes conventional understandings of classical form by blending it with exotic, non-Western elements. This fusion challenges the purity of classical aesthetics. Note the structural interplay between the flat, patterned surfaces and the three-dimensional sculptural elements. This contrast emphasizes the fireplace as both a functional object and a site of symbolic representation. Piranesi engages with questions of cultural appropriation and the re-imagining of historical forms through his complex layering of visual signs and symbols.