Artwork

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

Veduta del Tempio di Antonino, oggi Dogana di Terra (View of the Temple of Antoninus, now the Land Customs Office) is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Laura Piranesi. It dates from 1784 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Created around 1784, this etching by Laura Piranesi depicts an expansive, sparsely populated square framed by two contrasting façades.

Created around 1784, this etching by Laura Piranesi depicts an expansive, sparsely populated square framed by two contrasting façades. The left structure is modest, with a flat roof and plain windows, while the right edifice is more elaborate, featuring a colonnade and a series of statues crowning its roof. A few figures and a cart populate the foreground, lending a sense of quiet activity to the scene.

Subject & Meaning

The work presents a stylized view of a civic space historically identified as the Temple of Antoninus, later repurposed as the Land Customs Office. By emphasizing symmetry and architectural grandeur, the image evokes an idealized urban environment rather than a precise topographical record, suggesting the artist’s interest in the timeless qualities of public architecture.

Technique & Style

Executed as an etching on laid paper, the print relies on fine line work and tonal variation to convey depth and texture. Piranesi’s hand is evident in the crisp delineation of architectural details and the subtle gradations that model the sky and ground, reflecting the 18th‑century printmaking conventions that favored precise, linear representation.

History & Provenance

Attributed to Laura Piranesi, daughter of the renowned engraver Giovanni Battista Piranesi, the piece belongs to a body of work produced in the late eighteenth century when the family workshop was active in Rome. Its survival in museum collections underscores the continued scholarly interest in the Piranesi family's contributions to architectural engraving.