Giovanni Battista Piranesi

In a novel way, the famous views of Rome by Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-1778) showcase historical buildings from antiquity to the Baroque period that continue to shape the cityscape of Rome today. Impressively staged in terms of perspective and lighting, the monuments evoke a sense of the historical grandeur of the Eternal City. In the loosely sketched figures in the foreground, the artist has also captured the lively everyday life on the streets and squares. Piranesi's prints were often purchased as souvenirs by cultured travelers on their Grand Tour through Europe and remain highly popular today. The exhibition features and provides detailed commentary on 40 representative views from the series created between 1746 and 1778, which eventually grew to 135 sheets over the decades. The partly very early, rare prints come from the collection of the Graphic Collection of the Augustinermuseum Freiburg. The exhibition and catalog were produced in close cooperation with the Institute of Art History at the Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg.