Artwork
The Prisons: A Wide Hall with Lanterns
The Prisons: A Wide Hall with Lanterns is a print by the Baroque artist Giovanni Battista Piranesi. It dates from 1748 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 1941.26.14
- Credit line
- Dudley P. Allen Fund
About this work
Overview
The Prisons: A Wide Hall with Lanterns is a print by Giovanni Battista Piranesi, created in 1748. It is part of a series of imaginary prison scenes and is held at The Cleveland Museum of Art.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts a claustrophobic, labyrinthine hallway with imposing stone architecture, shelves, and fragmented columns. Two figures stand at the bottom, dwarfed by the space and a suspended lantern, evoking a sense of unease and confinement.
Technique & Style
Piranesi employed a dense network of fine lines to create textured surfaces, characteristic of the Baroque style, which emphasized dramatic contrasts and detailed rendering. The resulting image is rich in shadow and atmosphere.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Giovanni Battista (or Giambattista) Piranesi (Italian pronunciation:; also known as simply Piranesi; 4 October 1720 – 9 November 1778) was an Italian classical archaeologist, architect, and artist, famous for his…
The Prisons: An Arched Chamber with Posts and Chains
The Prisons: A Vast Interior with Trophies
The Prisons: A Perspective of Arches with a Smoking Fire
The Prisons: Colonnaded Interior with a Broad Stair
The Prisons: A Perspective of Colonnades with Zig-Zag Staircase
The Prisons: An Immense Interior with a Drawbridge
The Prisons: A Series of Galleries with Crane-Like Erection of Beams
An Imaginary Prison
The Prisons: A Perspective of Arches with a Smoking Fire in the Center
The Prisons: A Lofty Arch with a Frieze