Artwork
The Prisons: Round Arches Springing from a Square Column
The Prisons: Round Arches Springing from a Square Column 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.
- 1941.26.13
- Credit line
- Dudley P. Allen Fund
About this work
Overview
The Prisons: Round Arches Springing from a Square Column is a print by Giovanni Battista Piranesi, created in 1748, and is part of the collection at The Cleveland Museum of Art.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts a dimly lit, mysterious space with round arches emanating from a central square column, evoking a sense of drama and tension through its representation of architectural forms.
Technique & Style
Piranesi employed chiaroscuro, utilizing strong contrasts of light and dark to convey a sense of depth and volume, while rendering the arches and columns with precise detail to create a convincing three-dimensional space.
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…
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