{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O792471"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O792471/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2014GX8211/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2014GX8211/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2014GX8211","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O792471/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O792471","accessionNumber":"E.3967-1908","objectType":"Print","titles":[{"title":"Towers which fortify the wall","type":""},{"title":"Roman Antiquities (Paris edition)","type":"series title"}],"summaryDescription":"This print is from <i>Le Antichità Romane</i><i> I</i>, volume 1 of 27 folio volumes with Giovanni Battista and Francesco Piranesi's works published in Paris by the Calcographie des Piranesi frères (1800-1807). \n\r\nThis volume contains 77 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. 3958-4034-1908. The copperplates are in the Istituto Centrale per la Grafica, Rome. \n\r\nThe first edition of Piranesi’s Roman Antiquities was published in 1756, in four volumes, with the original title ‘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.’ 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</i> a Milord Charlemont as a defence of his action. Further 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. \n\nThe 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. The 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 <i>Camera Sepolcrali</i>, 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":"Landscape format print of a view of the Walls of Aurelian in Rome, depicting the arches and towers. Different parts of the walls are explained through key letters (A, B, C, D, and E) in the Italian text on the scroll below the image.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Piranesi, Giovanni Battista","id":"A8740"},"association":{"text":"print-makers","id":"AAT25164"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Francesco Piranesi","id":"A30837"},"association":{"text":"publishers","id":"AAT25574"},"note":"Francesco and Pietro Piranesi set up the Calcographie des Piranèse Frères in Paris after having fled Rome in 1799. "},{"name":{"text":"Tessier","id":"AUTH328219"},"association":{"text":"Bookbinder","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."}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Calcographie des Piranèse Frères, Paris","id":"AUTH406361"},"association":{"text":"published","id":"x28702"},"note":"Francesco and Pietro Piranesi set up the Calcographie in Paris after having fled Rome in 1799. "}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"paper (fiber product)","id":"AAT14109"},{"text":"printing ink","id":"AAT187371"}],"techniques":[{"text":"etching (printing process)","id":"AAT53241"},{"text":"Engraving","id":"AAT53225"}],"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":["2014GX8211"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLD","id":"THES49658"},"free":"","case":"SB22","shelf":"SH3","box":"LL/1"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"print","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Rome","id":"x29106"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""},{"place":{"text":"Paris","id":"x29068"},"association":{"text":"published","id":"x30682"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1756","earliest":"1756-01-01","latest":"1756-12-31"},"association":{"text":"first published","id":"x46563"},"note":"Piranesi produced the etchings for <i>Le Antichita Romane di Giambatista Piranesi</i>, also known as <i>Le Antichita Romane</i>, which was first published in 1756. His son Francesco issued another edition in 1784."},{"date":{"text":"1803-1807","earliest":"1803-01-01","latest":"1807-12-31"},"association":{"text":"published","id":"x30682"},"note":"This volume was bound and published in Paris between 1803-1807."}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"13.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"19.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"57.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"volume","note":""},{"dimension":"Weight","value":"43.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"volume","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"volume","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"[inscribed at lower right, on a scroll]\r\n\r\nA. Torri di cui son munite le mura. B. Arcuazione interio/re delle medesime per uso delle Sentinelle. C. Comunicazion/ da un’arco all’altro. D. Feritoje corrispondenti nell’esterno. E. / Piano di Roma anteriore alla costruzione delle mura Aurelia/nensi. F. Piano di Roma, o sia terrapieno fatto alle mura da Au/reliano, colle rovine degli Edifizj che ingombravano il luogo e le vi/cinanze delle mura.\r\n\r\n[lower right signed, on the same scroll] Piranesi Archi. dis. inc.\r\n","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"A. Towers with which the walls are equipped. B. Interior arcuations of the same for use by the Sentinels. C. Communication from one arch to another. D. Corresponding wounds on the outside. E. Plan of Rome anterior to the construction of the Aurelian Wall. F. Plan of Rome, i.e. a terreplain made to the walls by Aurelian, with the ruins of the building that cluttered the place and the avenues of the walls.","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"The text explains the key letters, pointing out different features. For example, A shows the towers that feature in the walls. "}],"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":"‘Towers which fortify the wall’, plate VIII, Fig. II, from a set of 77 plates, G. Piranesi, Le Antichità Romane, vol. I, 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":"no. 293","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"From the bookbinders sticker on the inside cover of Volume 1 of 'Le Antichita Romane di Giambatista Piranesi.'"}],"production":"Lettered on the spine of the volume: ‘G. PIRANESI/ LE / ANTICHITA’/ ROMANE/ VOL.I’\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","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.3967-1908"],"accessionNumberNum":"3967","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":1908,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"Istituto Centrale per la Grafica, Rome – matrix inventory number","id":"THES403866"},"number":"M-1400_9b"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-07","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-30","availableToBook":false}}