1749
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Catalogo delle Opere is a 1749 ink by Giovanni Battista Piranesi, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This image is a busy black-and-white print packed with tiny sketches of Roman buildings. The top shows bold, fancy text in Italian, listing titles like *"Antichità Romane"* and *"Vedute di Roma."* Smaller scenes fill the rest—temples, bridges, ruins, and a grand cityscape with a dome in the corner. The lines are precise, with some areas shaded to look like stone or shadows. The print looks like a catalog of ancient Roman sites, mixing real ruins with imagined views. The artist used a mix of fine lines and darker shading to add depth. Next, look up etching to see how artists like Piranesi made these detailed prints.
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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