Artwork preview

The Smoking Fire

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

National Gallery of Art

This is a drawing of an interior space with arches, staircases, and towering architectural elements. The scene includes grand, arched structures that overlap and intertwine with intricate railings and columns. The composition shows architectural details like ropes, chains, and large pieces of machinery or scaffolding within the arches. A complex array of lines and shades create deep contrast in the space. Light filters through high arched windows, illuminating the stonework with shadows and light.

Artwork Details

Date
published 1800/1809
Medium
etching, engraving, sulphur tint or open bite, burnishing
Dimensions
3574 × 4806 px
Public Domain
Yes
Museum Record
View original
Palette