The Trevi Fountain, Rome
late 18th–mid-19th century
Medium
Drawing in pen and ink and gray wash
Dimensions
3 1/16 x 4 3/16in. (7.8 x 10.6cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Alexander B.V. Johnson and Roberta J.M. Olson, 1996
Accession Number
1996.582.6.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
Nestled among the treasures of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, *The Trevi Fountain, Rome is a delicate pen-and-ink drawing heightened with gray wash by Giovanni Battista Cipriani, dating to the late 18th–mid-19th century. Measuring just 3 1/16 x 4 3/16 inches (7.8 x 10.6 cm), this work captures the architectural splendor of Rome's famed Trevi Fountain—a Baroque icon renowned for its cascading waters, sculptural drama, and urban grandeur. Cipriani's precise lines and subtle tonal washes evoke the fountain's lively energy and intricate details, inviting visitors ...
About the Artist
Giovanni Battista Cipriani · 1766–1839
Giovanni Battista Cipriani was born on April 20, 1766, in Siena, Italy, to Simon Pietro Cipriani and Eva Bandini. He grew up alongside his brothers Barbato, a sculptor, and Galgano, an engraver, in a family immersed in the arts. Cipriani began his education studying Latin and mathematics before pursuing fine arts under the sculptor and architect Giuseppe Silini in Siena.) His talent earned him a p...