This drawing of the so-called Albano Altar is one of the most revealing sheets in the Karlsruhe albums. Piranesi actually owned this object and it is one of the most frequently reproduced antiquities in his oeuvre. Its manner of representation here illuminates the vital role that the medium of drawing played as a bridge between various production steps in Piranesi’s workshop. The sheet highlights Piranesi’s artistic interest in Roman antiquity and serves as a vivid reminder of his sideline as a dealer in antiquities. The various steps in the drawing process, the revisions and reworkings and added notes also provide insight into workshop practice. Visible oil stains on the paper are indications that the image was traced, serving as the design for prints in the Vasi, candelabri.
165 168
Artwork information
Artist
Various unidentified draughtsmen of the Piranesi studio, Group 11
Place and date
Rome, before 1776
Dimensions (sheet)
652 x 424 mm
Inventory number
IX 5159-35-47-1
Keywords
GND terms
- Lhuillier, Nicolas-François-Daniel;
- Piranesi, Giovanni Battista;
- Piranesi, Giovanni Battista;
- Vogel, David;
- Albano Laziale;
- Santa Maria della Stella;
- Museo Pio-Clementino;
- Palazzo Tomati;
- Percier, Charles;
- Escher, Hans Caspar;
- Saint Non, Jean Claude Richard de
Permalink | piranesi.kunsthalle-karlsruhe.de/en/werk/8/albano-altar
The permalink always takes you to the latest version of the article.Citable link | piranesi.kunsthalle-karlsruhe.de/en/werk/8/albano-altar/1
The quotable link allows you to access this content in the future regardless of any changes made to the text.
Comments
This field enables you to leave comments on our objects. These comments will be viewed by our employees and displayed publicly to all readers afterwards.