PRINTS
Piranesi, Giovanni Battista
Italy (1720 - 1778)
Sepolcro della famiglia Scipioni (Tomb of the Scipio Family)
c. 1765
Etching on laid paper
7 5/8 x 12 1/2 in. (19.4 x 31.8 cm) sheet size; 5 3/8 x 10 1/2 in. (13.7 x 26.7 cm) plate mark size
Stimson Collection, gift of Dorothy Stimson Bullitt
FA 77.141
Keywords: Architecture; Landscape; Series: Archi Trionfale (Triumph Arches)

The size of this etching and the subject matter tie it to Piranesi's Archi trionfale series illustrating the major Roman ruins inside and outside the city walls. Published July 20, 1748, the series consisted of 25 plates. Composed of two parts, the second section recorded primarily the Roman tombs located along the Via Appia. The Tomb of the Scipios belongs to this latter section. In 1765, the plates were reissued as Alcuni vedute di archi trionfale ed altri monumenti. This etching probably belongs to this latter edition for several reasons. Stylistically, the handling of light and shadow demonstrate a greater sophistication than his earlier work. Piranesi employs a variety of stylus widths to create a variety of line widths. The emphasis of vegetation and the tree as a compositional and atmospheric component is indicative of Piranesi's work after the mid-1750s. Finally, the sparsely populated scene, dotted here and there with vague ant-like forms, evokes Piranesi's growing interest in archaeology and conveying the lasting majesty of imperial Rome. The Scipios were one of the foremost families of the Roman Republic. Scipio Africanus Major (238-183 B.C.) defeated Hannibal and the Carthaginians at the famous Battle of Zama (202) sacked Carthage (Piranesi's inscription in this etching, "Scipio Magnum, certainly refers to Scipio Africanus Major). Scipio was also a fervent patron of Greek art and culture. Publius Scipio Africanus Minor (c.184-129 B.C.), a close nephew of the Scipio Major, finally succeeded in destroyed Carthage in 140 B.C. Like his namesake, Scipio Minor was an enthusiastic admirer of Greek culture. The so-called Tomb of the Scipios still stands along the Appian Way. The archaeological evidence suggests that legend and not fact are responsible for the attribution. In any case, Piranesi's monument is shaped as an ancient mausoleum: a circular structure with a pyramidal crown. Two of Rome's most famous ancient monuments, the Castel Sant'Angelo (Hadrian's tomb) and the tomb of Augustus, were also constructed as circular mausolea. -- Label copy for Piranesi's Views of Rome, April 23 to December 13, 1993.