For centuries Giovanni Battista Piranesi’s magnificent etchings and books have been the most influential images of ancient Roman architecture, both in fact and in fantasy. They were so much desired, and so many copies of Piranesi’s works have flooded the world, that it is hard to sort out which ones are actually the closest to what their author wanted, and the best as works of art. The American Academy in Rome has one of the finest copies of Piranesi’s fundamental 1764 book on the antiquities of Albano.
 
On Tuesday, February 9, Andrew Robison, a prominent Piranesi scholar and the now-retired senior curator of prints and drawings at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, will situate the Academy’s copy of the Antichità d’Albano in Piranesi’s broader work and reveal the special qualities of this copy.

The Patricia H. Labalme Friends of the Library Lecture, to be presented on Zoom, is free and open to the public. The start time is 6:00pm Central European Time (12:00 noon Eastern Time).

The Friends of the Library supports the Library through annual dues and special initiatives. The group also helps to raise awareness of the Library’s resources through regular programs. Join online today!