Sublime Visions: Piranesi and his Carceri Prints

This paper examines the philosophical concept of the sublime and its impact in the work of the artist Giovanni Battista Piranesi. The main focus of the paper is Piranesi’s Carceri series, created during the period of 1740 – 1760 in Rome. Although Dionysius Longinus wrote of the sublime several centuries earlier, this concept became popular in 18th century aesthetic theory, and Piranesi had access to the writings of Longinus and 18th-century followers of his ideas. According to Longinus’ theory, creating a sublime work of art required daring and great thinking. The sublime was a quality of experience meant to move the soul to a higher realm. Piranesi attempted to emulate this quality in his own works by invoking the grandeur of ancient Rome. Piranesi was surrounded by ancient ruins and he was actively involved in archaeological digs. He wrote on the wonder of observing the ruins of Rome, “these speaking ruins have filled my spirit”. At the same time, Piranesi was not only surrounded by classical concepts; the motif of the gothic arch, which conveys the idea of architecture reaching up to heaven, also plays a role in his prints and their evocation of the sublime. His techniques with etching, composition, and depiction of light show his creativity, skill, and ambition, consistent with Longinus’ ideas. The iconography of the Carceri prints, especially Plates XIII, XIV, XVI, expresses Piranesi’s interest in the sublime through imaginative compositions, relating tiny figures to lofty architectural spaces, and through his demonstrated pride in ancient Rome.