View of the Port of Ripetta 

Giovanni Battista Piranesi made this etching of the Port of Ripetta sometime in the mid-18th century, a period when the print medium was at its height. Piranesi was a master of the etching process, using a metal plate covered with wax, upon which he would draw with a sharp needle. The plate was then submerged in acid, which bit into the exposed lines. This laborious process allowed for the creation of highly detailed and reproducible images, like this one, which could then be inked and printed onto paper. The etching’s stark contrast and intricate linework vividly capture the bustling activity of the port, as well as the buildings looming above it. The technique allowed Piranesi to distribute his work widely, and the print medium itself became a vehicle for the dissemination of knowledge and artistic ideas. Etchings like this one also served as a means of documenting and celebrating the industrial and commercial activity of the time, underlining how even a seemingly straightforward depiction of a place carries a freight of social and historical meaning.