The artwork titled “Ruins of a Gallery of Statues in Hadrian’s Villa at Tivoli” by Giovanni Battista Piranesi, created in 1756, is an engraving that reflects the Neoclassical art movement. It belongs to the genre of capriccio and is part of the “Vedute di Roma” series. This engraving is located in the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF) in Paris, France.
The artwork depicts a grandiose yet crumbling gallery of statues within Hadrian’s Villa at Tivoli. The scene reveals the ruins of magnificence, with towering arches and broken walls covered in overgrown vegetation, creating a sense of decay and antiquity. The intricate details emphasize both the architectural splendor and the ravages of time. Figures can be observed scattered within the scene, adding a sense of scale and human presence to the vast, dilapidated gallery. The interplay of light and shadow accentuates the textures of the stonework and the lush vegetation, offering a glimpse into the past glory and current state of ruin.
