Piranesi, Artist, Architect, and Archaeologist

Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-1778) was a visionary artist, architect, and archaeologist active in eighteenth-century Rome. He continues to captivate contemporary audiences with his grandiose depictions of architecture, ranging from Classical Antiquity to his own Enlightenment Age. We will explore Piranesi’s quixotic artistic persona through his artistic output and assess his relevance as a figure who looked both backwards to Ancient Rome and forwards, anticipating Romanticism, Neoclassicism, Eclecticism, and even Modernity. Students will work from Piranesi’s drawings, prints, and sculptures in various Middlebury collections; read primary and secondary sources; document and contextualize his works; and develop a thesis in concert with the entire seminar.