Back to Piranesi

A self portrait of Piranesi.

Here we are, back in the 1700's you have logged on to see some wacko display baroque etchings. It amazes me there is any interest in this stuff at all. in fact I think a few years ago there was no interest.

Above is the forum of Nerva, which is from the Roman etchings and not the Carceri, or prisons. I thought it was interesting how the ancient architecture has been woven into the city. I have been to Rome, but only briefly. I guess this must still exist. I would like to see it. If Dickens were an etcher in 18th century Rome, this is what his work would have looked like.
This is, of course from the Prisons series. If you squint at it you will see that it is one big light shape surrounded and in some places invaded by one big dark shape. All of the darks are hooked together into one large shape. If you were to put your finger down anywhere on that dark you could move anywhere within that large shape without lifting your finger. I have written before about linking your darks here. Piranesi has been criticized for overdoing the chiaroscuro and also called the Rembrandt of architecture. I like the intricate shapes of all of that fell machinery he has silhouetted before the light middle ground of the painting.

This one seems less organized then some others it lacks the large unifying darks that holds the one above together. You can see an enormous collection of Piranesi's work here. I believe tomorrow I will stay with etching but back and continue showing the etchings of Rembrandt. I have to end for tonight, I am too exhausted to continue, that happens sometimes.