Remains of the Bathe of Diocletian 1741 - 1748

Giovanni Battista Piranesi etched this depiction of the "Remains of the Baths of Diocletian" sometime before his death in 1778. It speaks to the 18th-century fascination with antiquity and the picturesque. Piranesi, working in Rome, became famous for his vedute, or views, of the city. This print, like many of his others, captures not just the grandeur of Roman ruins but also their decay. We see crumbling structures overtaken by vegetation, evoking a sense of both awe and melancholy. This aesthetic chimes with the philosophical currents of the Enlightenment, with thinkers like Diderot and Montesquieu, who grappled with the rise and fall of civilizations. As art historians, we look to sources beyond the image itself. We ask: How did the rediscovery of Roman sites influence artistic and political thought? How did institutions like the Academy shape the taste for classical art? Piranesi’s prints offer us a window into these questions, revealing the complex interplay between art, history, and cultural identity.