View of the Villa of His Eminence Cardinal Alessandro Albani, outside Porta Salaria, from Views of Rome
1769, published 1800–07
Medium
Etching on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
48.2 × 70.5 cm (19 × 27 13/16 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
48151
Art Historical Context
Step into the sun-drenched gardens of 18th-century Rome with Battista Piranesi's * of the Villa of Hisence Cardinal Alessandro Albani outside Porta Salaria*, exquisite etching from his renowned *Views of Rome* series. Created in 1769 and published between 1800 and 1807, this monumental print (48.2 × 70.5 cm) captures opulent estate of Cardinal Alessandro Albani a passionate collector of classical antiquities whose villa served as a treasure trove for Europe's elite during the Grand Tour era. Piranesi, a master of the veduta tradition—topographical views blending precise architecture with dram...
About the Artist
Giovanni Battista Piranesi · 1720–1778
Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720–1778) was an Italian printmaker, architect, and antiquarian whose visionary etchings of Rome and imaginary prisons revolutionized architectural representation and profoundly influenced both Neoclassicism and Romanticism. Piranesi stands as one of the most important printmakers of the eighteenth century, fundamentally shaping European perceptions of ancient Rome an...