{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O792480"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O792480/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2014GX8190/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2014GX8190/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2014GX8190","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O792480/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O792480","accessionNumber":"E.3958-1908","objectType":"Print","titles":[{"title":"Title Page with a portrait of Giovanni Battista Piranesi","type":""},{"title":"Roman Antiquities (Paris edition)","type":"series title"},{"title":"Le Antichità Romane (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). The plate, signed and dated by Francesco in 1779, features a portrait medallion of Giambattista in middle age after an image by Joseph Cades, which replaced Felice Polanzani’s portrait of Giambattista, reused from the&lt;i&gt; Opere Varie&lt;/i&gt; to open the first edition of the &lt;i&gt;Antichità Romane&lt;/i&gt;, Volume I (1756).  \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":"Portrait format title page comprising an engraved portrait of Giovanni Battista Piranesi in imitation of an antique bust, inscribed with the title in Latin on a stone surrounded by classical ruins, an ancient Roman vase and a spiral-twist column, to the lower right a capital with Roman triumphs and to the left two trompe l’oeil images of archaeological plans of the City of Rome.  ","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Piranesi, Francesco","id":"A30837"},"association":{"text":"print-makers","id":"AAT25164"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Giuseppe, Cades","id":"AUTH405874"},"association":{"text":"after","id":"THES283471"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Francesco Piranesi","id":"A30837"},"association":{"text":"publishers","id":"AAT25574"},"note":""},{"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":["2014GX8190"],"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":"1779","earliest":"1779-01-01","latest":"1779-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""},{"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":"42.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"31.5","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":"The dimensions refer to the print only. ","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Upper centre, on the stone: ‘EQVES . IO . BAPT . PIRANESIVS VENETVS . ARCHITECTVS /VIX . ANN . LIIX/ OB . V. ID . NOVEMB . CIƆIƆCCLXXIIX’\r\n\r\nSignature, lower left: ‘Franciscus Piranesius invenit et sculpsit 1779’ and to the right: ‘Josephus Cades vultum delineavit’\r\n","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"Cav. Battista Piranesi Venetian architect\r\nFrancesco Piranesi invented and engraved\r\nJosephus Cades depicted the face","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"The image on the title page is a copy of a self-portrait by Piranesi, copied by his son for the title page of this volume. \r\n\r\nThe collection of volumes was previously owned by Decimus Burton and his bookplate is pasted in the inside cover of this volume.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Title page with a cameo portrait of Giovanni Battista Piranesi, from a set of 77 plates, <i>G. Piranesi, Le Antichità Romane, vol. I</i>, etching with engraving, with the portrait engraved by Francesco Piranesi after Joseph Cades, 1779, bound in Paris by Tessier, 1803-1807","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":"pp. 327-28","free":""}],"production":"Lettered on the spine of the volume: ‘G. PIRANESI/ LE / ANTICHITA’/ ROMANE/ VOL.I’ \r\n\r\nLabelled inside the front cover: 'Rue de la Harpe Au-dessus de celle de Medectne, N 132 ; /  TESSIER, / Relieur et Doreur de la Trisorerie Nationale, du Bureau de la Guerre et  Calcographie piranesi A PARIS' \r\n\r\nBookplate of architect Decimus Burton (1800-1881)","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[{"text":"Rome","id":"x29106"}],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Piranesi, Giovanni Battista","id":"A8740"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"Ruins","id":"x37522"},{"text":"Architecture","id":"AAT54156"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["E.3958-1908"],"accessionNumberNum":"3958","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":1908,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-25","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-30","availableToBook":false}}