1776
chalk
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
The "Canopus" of the Villa Adriana at Tivoli is a 1776 chalk by Giovanni Battista Piranesi, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a grand, crumbling ruin filled with tall columns and broken arches. The lines are loose and fast, like a quick sketch. Shadows and light play across the ruins, making some parts look deep and others flat. The artist used red chalk over darker lines to build up the scene. The paper looks worn, almost like the ruins themselves. This drawing was made later, but it’s based on real ancient ruins. Next, check out the technique: chiaroscuro to see how light and shadow create drama.
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…
See the richer artist page
![Designs for Palatial Staircases [recto]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/e49f5f8955b9d67b/thumb.webp)
