Grottesco with the Tomb of Nero
1747
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1747
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Grottesco with the Tomb of Nero is a 1747 ink by Giovanni Battista Piranesi, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a crumbling tomb with a broken archway and a cracked sarcophagus. The stone carvings are worn, and a tall, empty urn sits on top of a pillar. Faint figures and ruins fill the background, looking like they’re half-buried in the ground. The artist used quick, sketchy lines to show decay—some areas look almost erased. The Latin words on the tomb’s frame hint at a real emperor’s name, but the scene feels more like a dream than history. Next, check out cross-hatching to see how artists build shadows with layered lines.
