{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O791724"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O791724/"}},"images":null,"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O791724","accessionNumber":"E.4714-1908","objectType":"Print","titles":[{"title":"Frontispiece to Volume XV: View showing the remains of the interior of the Temple of Neptune","type":""},{"title":"Different views of some of the remains of three great edifices that still exist at the centre of the ancient city of Pesto, or Posidonia [Paestum], which is situated in Lucania (Paris edition)","type":"series title"},{"title":"Différentes vues de quelques restes de trois grands edifices qui subsistent encore dans le milieu de l'ancienne ville de Pesto autrement Posidonia qui est située dans la Lucanie","type":"series title"}],"summaryDescription":"This print is from <i>Different views of some of the remains of three great edifices that still exist at the centre of the ancient city of Pesto, or Posidonia [Paestum]</i><i>, which is situated in Lucania</i>, a bound volume of etchings by Giovanni Battista and his son Francesco Piranesi.\n\r\nThe prints comprise Volume 15 of 27 folio volumes published in Paris by the <i>Calcographie des Piranesi frères</i> (1800-1807). This volume contains 21 plates, uniformly bound by Tessier, Paris. For the complete set of prints in this volume see accession numbers: E.4714-4734-1908. The copper plates are in the Istituto Centrale per la Grafica, Rome.\n\r\nThis series of prints is one of Piranesi’s final works and also one of his most commanding statements on architecture. It had a profound impact on the appreciation of the monumental austerity of Greek architecture as Neo-Classicism developed. Beyond the plates of the relief columns, there are significant questions of authorship, particularly regarding the contribution of Francesco Piranesi.\n\r\nAlthough Giovanni Battista had undoubtedly been familiar with the three fifth-century temples at Paestum for some time, it was not until late 1777, or possibly the spring of 1778, that he embarked on an expedition to document them. He was accompanied by his son Francesco, his assistant Benedetto Mori, and the architect Augusto Rosa. The outcome of this journey was a series of twenty plates, including a frontispiece and inscriptions in French, which received the imprimatur on 15 September 1778—just two months before Giambattista’s death.\n\r\nWhile eighteen of the plates bear Giambattista’s signature, it is likely that Francesco contributed to them, particularly to the remaining three—the frontispiece and Plates XIX and XX—which are explicitly signed by him. The seventeen surviving preparatory drawings for the series, now housed in London, Paris, and Amsterdam, are essential for establishing authorship. These studies, unusually refined for Giambattista, were executed from the same viewpoints as the plates (except for Plate II) and consistently reveal his hand, despite various attempts to attribute them to his son.\n\r\nAccording to the printmaker's cataloguer, John Wlton-Ely, in all twenty-one plates, the architecture is unmistakably the work of Giambattista, as are the depictions of vegetation and architectural fragments. The figures, however, appear somewhat crude, awkwardly outlined, and strikingly similar to those in Francesco’s later etched works. This characteristic is already evident in the preparatory studies, where the broad treatment of the figures aligns with the style of contemporary drawings of Pompeii, which are also clearly attributable to Giambattista. It seems likely that he produced all the preparatory drawings, executed eighteen of the plates himself, and worked extensively on the remaining three before his final illness overtook him. Francesco then completed these last plates and reworked the remaining eighteen, attempting to replicate his father’s distinctive figure style.","physicalDescription":"","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Piranesi, Francesco","id":"A30837"},"association":{"text":"printmaker","id":"AAT25164"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Piranesi, Francesco","id":"A30837"},"association":{"text":"publisher","id":"AAT25574"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Piranesi, Pietro","id":"AUTH406354"},"association":{"text":"publisher","id":"AAT25574"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Tessier","id":"AUTH339188"},"association":{"text":"bookbinder","id":"AAT25704"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Calcographie des Piranèse Frères, Paris","id":"AUTH406361"},"association":{"text":"publishers","id":"AAT25574"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"paper (fiber product)","id":"AAT14109"},{"text":"printing ink","id":"AAT187371"}],"techniques":[{"text":"etching (printing process)","id":"AAT53241"},{"text":"engraving (printing process)","id":"AAT53225"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Etching with engraving, ink on paper","categories":[{"text":"Prints","id":"THES48903"},{"text":"Architecture","id":"THES48993"},{"text":"Archaeology","id":"THES48874"}],"styles":[{"text":"italian","id":"AAT111198"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":[],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLD","id":"THES49658"},"free":"","case":"SB23","shelf":"SH3","box":"LL/15"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"print","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Rome","id":"x29106"},"association":{"text":"first published","id":"x46563"},"note":""},{"place":{"text":"Paris","id":"x29068"},"association":{"text":"published","id":"x30682"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1778","earliest":"1778-01-01","latest":"1778-12-31"},"association":{"text":"first published","id":"x46563"},"note":""},{"date":{"text":"1800-1807","earliest":"1800-01-01","latest":"1807-12-31"},"association":{"text":"published","id":"x30682"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"47.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Plate","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"68.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Plate","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"84.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Sheet","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"54.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Sheet","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"84.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Volume","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"58.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Volume","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"2.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Volume","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'DIFFERENTES VUES DE QVEQVES RESTES DE TRPOS GRANDS EDI FICES QVI SVBSISTENT ENCORE DANS LE MILIEV DE L'ANCIENNE VILLE DE PESTO AVTREMENT POSSIDONIA. QVI EST SITV'EE DANS LA LVGANIE'\n\nLower center: 'Vüe des restes interieurs du Temple de Neptune. Nous ne nous etendrons pas à donner un détail de ces morceaux, parce qu'ils seront bien détaillés, et bien specifiés dans les Planches suivantes. Dans ce Frontispice nous les avons dessinés telsqu'ils éx istent áf fin d'en presenter un grand appareil uni à d'autres amas de ruines, que nous donnerons ci apres dans les Planches. Les Voyageurs connoisseurs assurent, que par rapport á l'Architecture Grecque des Temples bâtis dans l'Ordre Dorique, ceux de Pesto sont superieurs en beautè á ceux, qu'on voit en Sicilè et dans la Grece, et que sans se donner la peine, et la fatigue de longs voyages, ceux ci peuvent suffire pour contenter la curiositè, et qu'enfin cette grande, et majestueuse Architecture donne en son genre l'idée la plus parfait de ce bel Art.'\n\nLower right: 'Franciscus Piranesi fecit'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"The collection of volumes was previously owned by architect Decimus Burton (1800-1881) and his bookplate is pasted in the inside cover of this volume.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"'Frontispiece to Volume XV: View showing the remains of the interior of the Temple of Neptune', from a set of 21 plates, <i>Différentes vues de quelques Restes de trois grands Edifices qui subsistent encore dans le milieu de l'ancienne Ville de Pesto autrement Posidinia qui est située dans la Lucanie,</i>vol.XV, bound in Paris by Tessier, 1800-1807, etching with engraving, by Francesco Piranesi, Rome","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"John Wilton-Ely, Giovanni Battista Piranesi. The Complete Etchings, 2 vols., 1st ed., San Francisco: Alan Wofsy Fine Arts, 1994","id":"AUTH405198"},"details":"","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"Henri Focillon, Giovanni Battista Piranesi: Essai de catalogue raisonné de son oeuvre, Paris: Librairie Renouard, H. Laurence, 1918","id":"AUTH405204"},"details":"","free":""}],"production":"Lettered on the spine of the volume: ‘LE / ANTICHITA’/ ROMANE/ G. PIRANESI/ VOL.XV’\r\n\r\nThis volume of prints was bound by Tessier bookbinders, Paris, and has their trade label pasted on the inside cover of the volume: Rue de la Harpe, Au-dessus de celle de Médecine, no. 132; Tessier/ Relieur et doureur/ De la Trésorerie nationale du Bureau/ de la Guerre/ et Calcographie piranesi/ A Paris'\r\n\r\nFrancesco and Pietro Piranesi set up the Calcographie des Piranèse Frères in Paris after having fled Rome in 1799. The Calcographie was active between 1800 and 1810.","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[{"text":"Paestum","id":"x40958"}],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"ruins","id":"AAT8057"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["E.4714-1908"],"accessionNumberNum":"4714","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":1908,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"Istituto Centrale per la Grafica, Rome – matrix inventory number","id":"THES403866"},"number":"M-1400_661"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-07","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-30","availableToBook":false}}