1761
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
The Lion Bas-Reliefs is a 1761 ink by Giovanni Battista Piranesi, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This print is packed with weird, crumbling ruins. You see arches, broken columns, and twisted metal everywhere. People are climbing, carrying things, or just lost in the mess. The whole scene looks heavy and dark, like a dream of a ruined city. Notice how the lines are all jagged and overlapping. The artist didn’t smooth anything out—it’s all sharp edges and chaos. This wasn’t meant to look real; it’s more like a nightmare of endless ruins. Next, check out etching to see how artists like this made prints with acid and metal plates.
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 pageYour cart is empty
Explore artworks →
