The Prisons
1748
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1748
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
The Prisons is a 1748 by Giovanni Battista Piranesi, a Baroque work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This etching shows a dark, crumbling prison with tall stone walls and iron bars. A ladder leans against one side, and a small figure climbs it. In the background, a distant city sits on a hill, but the prison itself looks endless and heavy. The lines are sharp and the shadows deep, making everything feel heavy and confusing. The title *The Prisons* hints this isn’t a real place—it’s a made-up nightmare. Piranesi drew these scenes to show how prisons could be terrifying if poorly designed. The text on the print even says it’s an "invention." If you like this style, look up Giovanni Battista Piranesi.
