View of Flavian Amphitheater, called the Colosseum, 1776
Giovanni Battista Piranesiexpand_more
Etching and engravingexpand_more
The William M. Ladd Collection Gift of Herschel V. Jones, 1916expand_more P.493
Not on Viewexpand_more
Gladiator combats, wild-animal hunts, executions—all manner of spectacle took place inside the Colosseum, which could hold up to 80,000 people. It was even filled with water to hold mock naval battles. After Rome’s decline, the Colosseum was seen as a ready source of building materials, and people plundered its great façade and interior. The quarrying was stopped in Piranesi’s time by Pope Benedict XIV, who mistakenly believed that the place was a site of Christian martyrdom.
Details
- Title
- View of Flavian Amphitheater, called the Colosseum
- Artist Life
- Italian, 1720–1778
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- P.493
- Provenance
- William M. Ladd
- Catalogue Raisonne
- Hind 126 i/iv; Wilton-Ely 259
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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