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| en.wikipedia.org |
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| commons.wikimedia.org |
I decided that my Pompeian mural would not be complete without an homage to one of the most remarkable men of the eighteenth century, Giovanni Battista Piranesi. Piranesi (1720-1778) was born in the then Republic of Venice, and studied with his uncle, who was an engineer specializing in excavation. Perhaps that whetted Giovanni's appetite for the etchings that would make him famous.
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| Piranesi: The Complete Etchings | Luigi Ficacci |
At the age of 20, Piranesi went to Rome, studied etching and engraving, and soon produced a series of Roman views that brought him his initial fame. Above is his depiction of the ruins of the forum of
Nerva.
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| Piranesi: The Complete Etchings | Luigi Ficacci |
Piranesi measured the ruins of Rome, then made beautiful topographic maps, as well as reconstructions of imperial Rome at its height. Above is Piranesi's reconstruction of the Campus Martius, originally a military field dedicated to the god Mars. Below is a another reconstruction of the Campus Martius, perhaps inspired by Piranesi's work.
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| en.wikipedia.org |
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| Piranesi: The Complete Etchings | Luigi Ficacci |
If that were that not enough, Piranesi recorded countless Roman fragments in multiple compositions like the one above.
The three previous engravings came from this book published by Taschen, and no library of architectural history (or for that matter decorative design) would be complete without it.
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| click to enlarge |
I should add before I go on that Piranesi is also famous for having drawn a series of imagined prisons. They'd fit in nicely with contemporary fantasy art and today's blockbuster movie sets. Piranesi was a most prolific fellow.
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| jamblimited.com |
When I saw this lovely urn, designed by Piranesi, I thought it would be perfect to place between the living room's ignudi.
As you can see, my own version has a different bottom than the original reference, but one that is also based on a Piranesi design.
Such a substantial urn deserves a plinth, perhaps even one with a commemorative portrait. But who is this? Certainly not Giovanni Battista Piranesi!
It is yours truly. The self-portrait measures approximately three inches high, or about the same size you're seeing it now, if you have a 21.5-inch screen.
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| click to enlarge |
Now the ignudi can contemplate the urn, rather than ogle each other, as they seemed to be doing before. This is a dark corner that abuts a floor-to-ceiling mirror, so it's a little difficult to light properly.
This angled view is actually a truer representation.
And with that, the living room part of the mural is finished. Now I'm going to double back and tweak a couple areas to which I mentioned I would return.
I hope you'll join me for the next stage.
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Dear Mark, Your ears? Maybe a bit too long? Brilliant answer to how to sign your work.
ReplyDeleteI love the perfect balance you have achieved with your urn on a plinth and the rest of the composition.
Dear Gina,
DeleteIf you go to the top of the page and look at my portrait bust, you'll see that I do indeed have big ears, all the better to hear you with!
I worked out the proportions of the urn and plinth so that the faun handles would intersect that dividing line of colors, and I played around with many urn sizes.
wow -what a process this has been -involved and amazing. Glad you got some Piranesi in there!
ReplyDeleteHi, Stefan,
DeleteThough the Depression curtailed his ambitions, my father studied to be an architect, and I remember that he had a great love of Piranesi. It's only in recent years that I am fully aware of the extent of Piranesi's work, and that in turn has made me better appreciate my father's own taste.
I think of Piranesi and Sir John Soane together, since they were good friends and both enjoyed playing with scale.
Mark you astound me! I feel I must have the Piranesi book, so fascinating. The bust of your self on the urn is perfection and does indeed complete the space.
ReplyDeleteThank you again for the link regarding my feature, it is perfect and added a lot of interest!
xoxo
Karena
The Arts by Karena
You are most welcome, Karena. Jackson Pollack is not easy for many people to understand, including this one (!), and I find any light that can be shed on his perspective and process valuable. And as I've said before, I am always intrigued by those who can forge a very distinct style of their own.
DeleteDear Mark - It is right and fitting that your own portrait should be amongst the great and the good in your Pompeii room. It sits very well beneath the exquisite urn - your homage to Piranesi.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Rosemary. Incidentally, there were a great many Piranesi urn designs from which to choose. The fact that I did not see this particular urn in the book of complete etchings would indicate that of course there was much design work beyond the etchings. One starts to wonder if Piranesi ever slept!
DeleteHello Mark, First ancient Pompeii, Carracci, and Piranesi to pique our interest, and now your portrait lends that crowning touch of dignity and propriety, tying together the artistic sources of your mural.
ReplyDeleteThe entire vignette with Diana, the ignudi, the vase, and the lizard against the Pompeian background is the perfect introduction to the Pompeii Room itself, and incidentally should be placed in a textbook on composition.
--Jim
Hi praise, sir, and I thank you for your kind words.
DeleteThis project, which is nearing an end, has been a means of assembling bits and pieces of my favorite things. It didn't start out that way — originally it was going to be a very straight-forward interpretation of Pompeian murals — but it's been fun to incorporate details from slightly later periods and to create a new version of Pompeii. Along the way, it's also been a good excuse to buy several great tomes of classical art history. I do believe I'm ready for the next mural!
I haven't visited in a while, Mark, and I see that in the meantime you've been busy at work. Wow. I wish I had your energy. :) I love this wall. Everything about it. Down to your little selfie on the gorgeous urn inspired by Piranesi.
ReplyDeleteI believe I've seen some of Piranesi's work (his etchings of Roman fragments) in a vintage illustration book I've had for some years. All this just looks very familiar.
Hi, Yvette,
DeleteYes, this project has kept me off the streets.
The few etchings and engravings that I've put up simply don't do justice to the scope of Piranesi's work, and I don't doubt that he catalogued a lot of antiquity that otherwise would have been lost. Through the years, I've picked up a lot of reference books that were essentially encyclopedias of engraving, but Piranesi's work was/is in a class of its own.