The Tomb of Nero
1754
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1754
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This sketch looks like a messy, dark maze. Ruins pile up everywhere—crumbling arches, broken columns, and tangled vines. Shadows stretch long, and the air feels heavy. At the top, a faint light peeks through, but the rest is a tangle of stone and debris. The artist packed in tiny details—tiny figures, strange carvings, and odd shapes hiding in the wreckage. It’s like a puzzle no one solved. Want to see how Piranesi made this? Check out etching, drypoint, aquatint.
