Piranesi engravings of the Complutense University Library of Madrid

Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720 –1778) was an Italian artist famous for his etchings of Rome.

The Piranesi collection mostly presents the long series of vedute of Rome realised in 1748–1774 which established his fame. The remains of Rome kindled Piranesi's enthusiasm. He was able to faithfully imitate the actual remains of a fabric; his invention in catching the design of the original architect provided the missing parts; his masterful skill at engraving introduced groups of vases, altars, tombs that were absent in reality; and his broad and scientific distribution of light and shade completed the picture, creating a striking effect from the whole view.