Piranesi Le Vedute di Roma : a journey through the eternal city

The large size and faithful edition of the complete Views of Rome (137 etchings by G.B. Piranesi an 2 by Francesco Piranesi plus the Pianta di Roma e del Campo Marzio) is the first to attempt to do full justice to the visual genius of Piranesi's representation of the antique, sacred, worldly and contemporary city of Rome. In the preface, 'The Light of Piranesi', the author J.G.Wallis de Vries indicates the interest and concept of this publication. In the Introduction he discusses seven themes that define the production and reception of Piranesi's views. The main text consists of brief comments on each of the 137 vedute, highlighting the depicted sites and buildings, and analyzing how the space is framed and how it affects the viewer. The author thus deepens our understanding of the art of perspective related to the poetics of space.