18th c. Piranesi Copper Engraving: The Ruins of the Fountainhead of the Aqua Giulia (Del Castello dell'Acqua Giulia)
Wonderful 18th c. antique Piranesi print: The Ruins of the Fountainhead of the Aqua Giulia (entitled on the piece itself: Del Castello dell'Acqua Giulia). The print is marked "Piranesi F.", i.e. as having been etched by Francesco Piranesi (1758-1810), a son of Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-1778), a famous archeologist, architect, antiquarian, artist and founder of what became an extremely well-known family workshop in Rome. As a family (together with Francesco's sister/ Giovanni Battista's other child, Laura), they ran a spectacular print workshop in Rome that focused on the promotion of the ruins and the classical architecture and design of Ancient Rome. Their engravings were made for both 18th c. aristocratic visitors who came to Rome to learn about Antiquity as part of "The Grand Tour" as well as for Romans and Italians interested in Antiquity.

The print features the ruins of the Acqua Giulia acqueduct (underneath/ built into the monument of Piazza Vittorio Emanuele in Rome). It is the depiction of an ancient 'castellum aquarum' or terminus of an aqueduct that was constructed by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa (military general, architect and son-in-law of Emperor Augustus) in 33 B.C. In the third century the ruins were transformed into a magnificent nymphaeum (a monument dedicated to nymphs and springs) by Emperor Alexander Severus.

These spectacular ruins influenced the architectural designs of other built forms for acqueduct heads such as the Fontana del Mosè (the acqueduct head of the Acqua Felice near Piazza della Repubblica), the Acqua Paola or the 'Fontanone' on the Janiculum Hill (the terminus of Acqua Traiana) and the Fontana di Trevi/ the famed Trevi Fountain (the terminus of Acqua Vergine)--all in Rome.
12" x 14"; framed size: 19" x 20"

Good.