{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O792379"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O792379/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2014GX8296/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2014GX8296/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2014GX8296","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O792379/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O792379","accessionNumber":"E.4059-1908","objectType":"Print","titles":[{"title":"Section of the sarcophagus of Costanza","type":""},{"title":"Le Antichità Romane","type":"series title"},{"title":"Roman Antiquities (Paris edition)","type":"series title"}],"summaryDescription":"This print is from <i>Le Antichità Romane</i><i> II</i>, volume 2 of 27 folio volumes with Giovanni Battista and Francesco Piranesi's works published in Paris by the Calcographie des Piranesi frères (1800-1807). \n\nThis volume contains 63 plates (folio and large folio), uniformly bound by Tessier, Paris (label in each volume). For the complete set of prints in this volume see accession numbers: E.4035-4097-1908. The copper plates are in the Istituto Centrale per la Grafica, Rome.\n\nThe first edition of Piranesi’s Roman Antiquities was published in 1756, in four volumes, with the original title <i>LE ANTICHITÀ ROMANE OPERA DI GIAMBATTISTA PIRANESI ARCHITETTO VENEZIANO DIVISA IN QUATTRO TOMI [...] IN ROMA MDCCLVI Nella Stamperia di Angelo Rotilj nel Palazzo de’ Massimi. Con licenza de' superiori si vendono in Roma dai Signori Bouchard, e Gravier Mercanti libraj al Corso presso san Marcello.</i> Piranesi had obtained the sponsorship for this book from the Irish nobleman, Lord Charlemont, to whom it was dedicated. With the rapid accumulation of material the project expanded. Piranesi was promised Charlemont’s financial support for the four-volume work; however, by the time that the <i>Antichità</i> appeared in 1756, Charlemont had returned to Ireland and Piranesi, despite several letters to his patron, failed to receive the substantial payment he was counting on. In exasperation he eventually deleted the dedication to Charlemont from the main frontispiece to Volume I, and issued the <i>Lettere di Giustificazione a Milord Charlemont</i> as a defence of his action. \n\nFurther alterations took place when Francesco Piranesi issued another edition in 1784. In this, the much-altered title page to Volume I, which appears to have gone through at least three states in 1756-57, was change yet again, this time to receive a dedication to Gustav III of Sweden an important patron on Francesco. The plates of the<i> Antichità</i> include works by or after other artists, chiefly in Volume II and III. In the Antichità Piranesi consciously sets out to apply a completely new system of archaeological inquiry to the study of the remains of antiquity. \n\nThe first volume explains the urban structure of ancient Rome in terms of its walls, defences ad aqueducts as well as its civic and religious monuments. The next two volumes, which incorporate the plates of the Camera Sepolcrali, are devoted to the extensive remains of tombs ad funerary monuments around Rome. The final volume expounds the heroic feats of Roman engineering represented by bridges and monumental structures. According to Wilton Ely, the exaggerated scale and the concern with technology of these latter works, there are already signs of Piranesi’s attempts to counteract the increasing claims for the superiority of Greek art and architecture being made by Winkelman and Laugier.","physicalDescription":"","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"piranesi","id":"A8740"},"association":{"text":"printmakers","id":"AAT25164"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"piranesi","id":"A30837"},"association":{"text":"publishers","id":"AAT25574"},"note":"Francesco and Pietro Piranesi set up the Calcographie in Paris after having fled Rome in 1799."},{"name":{"text":"Tessier","id":"AUTH328219"},"association":{"text":"bookbinders","id":"AAT25704"},"note":"This volume of prints was bound by Tessier bookbinders, Paris, and has their trade label pasted on the inside cover of the volume."},{"name":{"text":"pietro piranesi","id":"AUTH406354"},"association":{"text":"publisher","id":"AAT25574"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Calcographie des Piranèse Frères, Paris","id":"AUTH406361"},"association":{"text":"publishers","id":"AAT25574"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"paper fiber","id":"AAT14109"},{"text":"Printing Ink","id":"AAT187371"}],"techniques":[{"text":"engraving","id":"AAT53225"},{"text":"etching","id":"AAT53241"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Etching with engraving, ink on paper","categories":[{"text":"Prints","id":"THES48903"},{"text":"Architecture","id":"THES48993"}],"styles":[{"text":"italian","id":"AAT111198"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2014GX8296"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLD","id":"THES49658"},"free":"","case":"SB22","shelf":"SH3","box":"LL/2"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"print","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Rome (city)","id":"x29106"},"association":{"text":"first published","id":"x46563"},"note":""},{"place":{"text":"Paris","id":"x29068"},"association":{"text":"published","id":"x30682"},"note":"This volume was bound and published in Paris between 1803-1807."}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1756","earliest":"1756-01-01","latest":"1756-12-31"},"association":{"text":"first published","id":"x46563"},"note":"Piranesi produced the engravings for <i>Le Antichita Romane di Giambatista Piranesi</i>, also known as <i>Le Antichita Romano</i>, which was first published in 1756."},{"date":{"text":"1800-1807","earliest":"1800-01-01","latest":"1807-12-31"},"association":{"text":"published","id":"x30682"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"59.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"plate","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"40","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"plate","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"56.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"sheet","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"41","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"sheet","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"57.4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"volume","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"43.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"volume","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"volume","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Upper right: ‘XXV’ \r\n\r\nUpper left: ‘Tom. II.’ \r\n\r\nLower: ‘A Spaccato per traverso della grand'Urna col suo Coperchio scavato di dentro a simiglianza di una Volta a crociera. B Fianco della medesima, nel quale / veggonsi intrecciate a grottesco due Viti con fronde, e grappoli di uva. Nel mezzo sonovi tre Genj alati con bolle d'oro al collo, i quali unitam. te stanno in atto di pestare co' piedi l'uva, / raccolta in un gran tino con testa di leone dinanzi alla cui bocca forota si può supporre, che scorresse il mosto entro le grandi anfore di creta, che sono poste sotto allo stesso. La Mas-/ chera di Sileno, ed il Festone fregiano il lato al Coperchio, e corrispondono a quelle degli altri lati. Il Fianco opposto è simile in tutto al presente a riserba della Maschera di Bacco fanciul-/ lo, la quale abbiamo qui segnata C. D Altra Maschera di Baccante, situata nella parte di dietro. E Avanzo di Fregio di marmo, trovato tralle rovine. F Gran Candeliere di / marmo, ornato di varj grotteschi, fogliami, e festoni, composti di fiori, e frutti. Il Piedestallo ha negli angoli di sopra tre teste di Ariete; in quei di sotto tre Sfingi formate in grottesco; sic-/ come pure in grottesco sono i Genj delle facciate. Il lavoro è di eccellente Scalpello de' tempi migliori, imitato nelle opere loro da que' valentiss Professori del secolo decimo quinto, ed in oggi dagli / Oltramontani indefessi investigatori dell'ottimo, cercasi tutto giorno di estrarne il modello. G Bolle d'oro fedelm.te copiate dal marmo in forma più grande.’ ","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"The inscription explains the letters which are dotted about the engraving, highlighting different aspects.  "}],"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":"‘Section of the sarcophagus of Costanza’, plate 25 from a set of 63 plates, G. Piranesi, Le Antichità Romane, vol.II, bound in Paris by Tessier, 1803-1807, etching with engraving by Giovanni Battista 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":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"From departmental notes."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"From the bookbinders sticker on the inside cover of Volume 2 of 'Le Antichita Romane di Giambatista Piranesi.'"}],"production":"Lettered on the spine of the volume: ‘G. PIRANESI/ LE / ANTICHITA’/ ROMANE/ VOL.II’\n\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":"Rome","id":"x29106"}],"associatedPlaces":[{"text":"Rome","id":"x29106"}],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"Ruins","id":"x37522"},{"text":"Architecture","id":"AAT54156"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["E.4059-1908"],"accessionNumberNum":"4059","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":1908,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"Istituto Centrale per la Grafica, Rome – matrix inventory number","id":"THES403866"},"number":"M-1400_74"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-07","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-30","availableToBook":false}}