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Sublime Ideas: Drawings by Giovanni Battista Piranesi
A beautifully rendered book that is the most important study of Piranesi’s drawings to appear in more than a generation. In a letter written near the end of his life, Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720–78) explained that he left his native Venice because no patrons were willing to support “the sublimity of [his] ideas.” Residing in Rome, he became internationally famous as a printmaker and designer, among other numerous pursuits. While Piranesi’s notoriety stems from his etchings, he was also an accomplished draftsman who first developed much of his work in drawings. Sublime Ideas is the most comprehensive, updated study of Piranesi’s drawings with over two hundred illustrations offering insight into his life and creative endeavors. Coinciding with the Morgan’s Spring 2023 exhibition, Sublime Ideas diligently surveys the artist’s enduring work as an artistic force.
224 pages, Hardcover
Published April 24, 2023
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July 5, 2023
This is a well designed evaluation of Piranesi's drawings to accompany the Morgan Library's 2023 exhibition (initially scheduled to run in 2020 to commemorate the three hundredth anniversary of Piranesi's birth).
The Morgan has 133 of Piranesi's drawings, the largest holding of the extant collection that can be attributed to his hand alone. The exhibit was an exploration of Piranesi's development as a draftsman, first with his fantasies and paper architecture, then as architect and antiquarian in the final years of his life.
The broad thesis is that Piranesi's preparatory work for his prints provides a vivid display of the "sublimity" of his ideas (a phrase lifted from Piranesi's correspondence). The examination of the drawings, with the helpful overlay to his prints, offers a comprehensive look at both process and provenance. The drawing above shows an active palimpsest of composition, energetic stages that stand in counterpoint to the calm precision of the final print.
Marciari's curatorial work reveals an anecdote recounted by the artist Hubert Robert on his working trip to Cori with Piranesi. Robert was astonished by how few elements Piranesi included in his sketches and asked why he was leaving so much out. Piranesi responded: "The drawing is not on my paper, I agree, but it is all here in my head. You'll see it in the plate."
As Piranesi became more experienced, the work in the field grew rougher, and it's here where I found the exhibit quite rich. Consider the drawing above, View of the Esquiline Obelisk and the Apse of Santa Maria Maggiorie, for which there is no accompanying print. Rather than capturing the grandeur of a tiered facade or decorative ornamentation, the drawing looks at how light falls at the rear of the basilica, a study of chiaroscuro and form. Wonderful book. If you're interested in the topic, I would suggest Marciari's terrific introductory lecture for the exhibit.
The Morgan has 133 of Piranesi's drawings, the largest holding of the extant collection that can be attributed to his hand alone. The exhibit was an exploration of Piranesi's development as a draftsman, first with his fantasies and paper architecture, then as architect and antiquarian in the final years of his life.
The broad thesis is that Piranesi's preparatory work for his prints provides a vivid display of the "sublimity" of his ideas (a phrase lifted from Piranesi's correspondence). The examination of the drawings, with the helpful overlay to his prints, offers a comprehensive look at both process and provenance. The drawing above shows an active palimpsest of composition, energetic stages that stand in counterpoint to the calm precision of the final print.
Marciari's curatorial work reveals an anecdote recounted by the artist Hubert Robert on his working trip to Cori with Piranesi. Robert was astonished by how few elements Piranesi included in his sketches and asked why he was leaving so much out. Piranesi responded: "The drawing is not on my paper, I agree, but it is all here in my head. You'll see it in the plate."
As Piranesi became more experienced, the work in the field grew rougher, and it's here where I found the exhibit quite rich. Consider the drawing above, View of the Esquiline Obelisk and the Apse of Santa Maria Maggiorie, for which there is no accompanying print. Rather than capturing the grandeur of a tiered facade or decorative ornamentation, the drawing looks at how light falls at the rear of the basilica, a study of chiaroscuro and form. Wonderful book. If you're interested in the topic, I would suggest Marciari's terrific introductory lecture for the exhibit.
Displaying 1 of 1 review