View of the Mausoleum of the Emperor Hadrian (now called Castel S. Angelo) from the rear, from Vedute di Roma (Roman Views)
Piranesi's earliest views of Rome, such as the Piazza del Popolo (37.45.3.49), had placed the principal buildings at the back of a vast, tilted space, filled with a diversity of human activity. By the mid-1750s, the monuments fill the space more commandingly, and are seen as if from below and close at hand, as in this view of the Castel Sant'Angelo. Piranesi produced this view at the same time he was working on the Antichità Romane (41.71.1.3.49; 41.71.1.3.53), his four-volume archaeological treatise, and it may have been originally intended for that work. The clear didactic character of the image and the type of lettering are characteristic of the Antichità Romane, although the dramatic view of the castle as it appeared in the eighteenth century is entirely in keeping with the other Vedute. The buildings at the top of the structure served as a gracious and well-fortified refuge for the pope in times of trouble—the corridor that stretches to the right atop huge arches leads all the way to the Vatican Palace.
Artwork Details
- Title: View of the Mausoleum of the Emperor Hadrian (now called Castel S. Angelo) from the rear, from Vedute di Roma (Roman Views)
- Series/Portfolio: Vedute di Roma
- Artist: Giovanni Battista Piranesi (Italian, Mogliano Veneto 1720–1778 Rome)
- Publisher: Bouchard & Gravier (Rome)
- Date: ca. 1756
- Medium: Etching, undescribed first state with address of Bouchard
- Dimensions: Sheet: 20 x 25 9/16 in. (50.8 x 65 cm)
Plate: 17 5/16 x 21 15/16 in. (44 x 55.8 cm) - Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund,1955
- Object Number: 55.567.6
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Giovanni Battista Piranesi
1740s–60s
Giovanni Battista Piranesi
ca. 1761
Giovanni Battista Piranesi
1757, 1761
Giovanni Battista Piranesi
1750
Giovanni Battista Piranesi
ca. 1758
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.