The artwork, titled “The Roman antiquities, t. 2, Plate LVIII. Pile of marble urns, existing in the Villa Corsini outside Porta S. Pancrazio,” is an etching by Giovanni Battista Piranesi, a prominent artist associated with the Neoclassicism art movement. This piece falls under the genre of design and is part of the series “Le antichità Romane.”
The etching meticulously depicts a collection of marble urns arranged in an orderly fashion, as found in the Villa Corsini, located outside Porta San Pancrazio. The detailed artwork showcases three tiers of urns, with the top tier bearing inscriptions and ornate designs, and the middle and lower tiers providing views into the internal structure of the urns. The decorative inscriptions on the top urns are highlighted by delicate floral and geometric patterns. The overall composition of the urns reflects Piranesi’s keen interest in classical Roman architecture and funerary customs.
