Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Plate: 39 x 54.5 cm
Sheet: 55 x 76 cm
A rare first state impression of Piranesi’s view of the Basilica of St John Lateran. The facade of the Lateran Basilica is shown in wide view. The open courtyard before the church is occupied by two horse drawn carriages, as well as groups of ambling tourists, and a group of beggars sit atop the city wall in the foreground. The numbered inscription below the image indicates important aspects of the basilica, including the chapel of Pope Clement XII, the Palace of Pope Sixtus V, the Holy Stairs, and the obelisk of Thutmoses IV.
Hind 8. i/vi, Wilton-Ely 139, Focillon 790, C694
Condition: Strong, clean impression with full margins. Central vertical crease.