Knights Of Columbus Museum Unveils Piranesi’s 18th Century Rome

NEW HAVEN — Rome’s famous structures and ruins are the subject of a new exhibition at the Knights of Columbus Museum.

Venice native Giovanni Battista Piranesi traveled to Rome in 1740 as a draftsman in the entourage of the Venetian ambassador to the papal court. Finding little opportunity in the architectural trade, he turned to printmaking as a source of income and expression.

Piranesi’s “Views of Rome,” a collection of some 135 signature etchings, became widely popular among tourists as mementos of their visit. His popularity earned him recognition as an artist, architect and archaeologist.

Among the familiar Roman landmarks featured in the exhibition are the Colosseum, the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Castel Sant’Angelo, the Piazza del Popolo and Saint Peter’s Basilica. Also on display are two original plates and several of his tools.

According to the exhibition’s curator, Talia Avisar, the majority of printmakers at the time were not artists, but rather as skilled workers who copied drawings of others onto copper plates.

“In the hands of Piranesi,” she explained, “printmaking was elevated to the level of fine art. He was intimately involved in the process from its initial conception through its final execution onto the printed page.”

“Etchings of the Eternal City: Piranesi’s Rome” will be on exhibition until November 9.

The museum is at 1 State Street. For information, call 203-865-0400 or visit www.KOfCMuseum.org.