Curatorial Practicum: Piranesi as Archaeologist, Architect, and Artist

Giovanni Battista Piranesi (Italian,1720-1778) was a visionary archaeologist, architect, and artist active in eighteenth-century Rome. His work continues to captivate contemporary audiences with his grandiose and often imaginary depictions of architecture old and new, ranging from Classical Antiquity to his own Age of the Enlightenment, and anticipating Romanticism and even a distopian future. In this curatorial practicum/seminar, we will study Piranesi’s momentous output in drawings, prints, and sculpture, investigate his quixotic artistic persona, and assess his relevance today. We will curate an online and/or museum exhibition on the artist’s artistic and intellectual output and will conceptualize its organization and layout, generate contextual and object labels, and prepare educational materials.(HARC 0100, HARC 0259, or prior permission.)