Detail of the relief in the preceding etching 1769 - 1778

This print was created by Giovanni Battista Piranesi in the 18th century, using etching, a demanding intaglio process. Piranesi made his name documenting Roman antiquities. He would have coated a copper plate with wax, and then used a sharp needle to draw through the wax, exposing the metal. The plate was then immersed in acid, which bit into the lines, creating grooves. Ink was applied to the plate, pushed into the grooves, and the surface wiped clean. Finally, paper was laid on the plate and run through a press, transferring the ink and creating the print. The result has a crisp, graphic quality, ideal for capturing the intricate detail of the relief. You can almost feel the sharp burr of the etching needle, and imagine the physical effort required to crank the printing press. While this print celebrates the glories of the past, it is also an object of its time, the product of skilled labor and industrial processes, bringing ancient Rome to a modern audience.