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Veduta del Tempio di Antonino, oggi Dogana di Terra (View of the Temple of Antoninus, now the Land Customs Office)

Laura Piranesi

1784

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Romanticism 18th Century Cityscape

Dominant colour

Veduta del Tempio di Antonino, oggi Dogana di Terra (View of the Temple of Antoninus, now the Land Customs Office) is a 1784 ink by Laura Piranesi, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Laura Piranesi
When & what style?: 1784 · Romanticism
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This black-and-white print shows a wide, empty square with tall, symmetrical buildings on either side. The left building has a flat roof and simple windows, while the right one is grander, with columns and a row of statues on its roof. A few small groups of people stand or walk around, and a cart sits near the bottom left corner. The title at the bottom names this a "view," but it’s more like a dreamy sketch than a real place. The buildings look like they’re from a different time, with no modern details. If you like this style, look up etching to see how artists like Piranesi made prints like this.