Carceri d’Invenzione
By Giovanni Battista Piranesi, 1720-1778
Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-1778), the Venetian architect and etcher who worked in Rome, first published his imaginary prisons anonymously in 1750. In 1761 he reissued them under his own name as Carceri d’invenzione: 16 etchings, reworked and bitten much more deeply for a darker effect.
The plates show vast underground vaults, endless stairs and great machines, with the figures reduced to tiny details; titles include The Man on the Rack and The Pier with Chains.
- Published
- 1750-1761
- Sheet
- 20 × 25½ in, original size
- In our collection
- 16 prints
All 16 prints
16 prints
Carceri d’Invenzione Cover
$225
The Man on the Rack
$225
The Round Tower
$225
The Grand Piazza
$225
Lion Bas Reliefs
$225
The Smoking Fire
$225
The Draw Bridge
$225
The Staircase with Trophies
$225
The Giant Wheel
$225
Prisoners on a Projecting Platform
$225
The Arch with a Shell Ornament
$225
The Saw Horse
$225
The Well
$225
The Gothic Arch
$225
The Pier with a Lamp
$225
The Pier with Chains
$225
The complete set
Carceri d’Invenzione is also available as a complete set: every plate we hold, as a facsimile at the original size, with a title page, a contents page and a certificate, in a Solander box.
Limited to 50 sets. Price on request.