Carceri VII 1760

Giovanni Battista Piranesi created "Carceri VII" using etching, a printmaking technique that is at once mechanical and highly skilled. The process begins with a metal plate covered in a waxy ground. The artist then scratches away the ground to expose the metal before it is bathed in acid. The acid bites into the exposed lines, creating grooves that hold ink, and when pressed onto paper, an image is born. Piranesi's mastery of this method allowed him to conjure his fantastic, architectural visions. The dense crosshatching creates a world of shadow and depth, exaggerating the sheer amount of work and labor involved in its construction. Although the scene is unreal, Piranesi's attention to architectural detail lends it an unsettling realism, like a phantom limb of industrial labor. By emphasizing the materiality and process behind its making, we see how Piranesi elevates printmaking from mere reproduction to a powerful form of artistic expression.