Observations on the Letter of Monsieur Mariette: With Opinions

Observations on the Letter of Monsieur Mariette: With Opinions on Architecture, with a Preface to a New Treatise on the Introduction and Progress of ... Europe in Ancient Times (Texts & Documents)

Published in 1765, Giovanni Battista Piranesi's Osservazioni is an impassioned defense of the superiority of Roman architectural "invention" over the "beautiful and noble simplicity" of ancient Greece. In this three-part polemical masterpiece, the famed engraver and designer not only contends that the Etruscans-not the Greeks-were the artistic mentors of the Romans but also argues for a Roman-inspired exuberance in design that draws freely on all forms and traditions of ancient art. Although Piranesi's essentially Baroque vision set him at odds with the austere Neoclassicism of his contemporaries, his ideas were inspirational to such gifted eighteenth-century architects as Robert Adam, John Soane, Claude-Nicolas Ledoux, and Ã‰tienne-Louis BoullÃ©e. Today, Piranesi's lively plea for imaginative eclecticism remains topical, as the debate continues over the relative merits of a rational, minimal architecture versus an architecture rich in ornament and historical references.

Country	USA
Author	Giovanni Piranesi
Binding	Paperback
Brand	Brand: Getty Research Institute
EAN	9780892366361
Edition	1
Feature	Used Book in Good Condition
ISBN	0892366362
Label	Getty Research Institute
Manufacturer	Getty Research Institute
MPN	43 b&w illustrations
NumberOfItems	1
NumberOfPages	192
PartNumber	43 b&w illustrations
PublicationDate	2002-11-07
Publisher	Getty Research Institute
Studio	Getty Research Institute
ReleaseDate	0000-00-00

Observations on the Letter of Monsieur Mariette: With Opinions on Architecture, with a Preface to a New Treatise on the Introduction and Progress of ... Europe in Ancient Times (Texts & Documents)