The artwork, entitled “The Roman antiquities, t. 3, Plate XII. View of the Family Tomb of Plautius on the road leading from Rome to Tivoli near Ponte Lugano,” is a distinguished etching created by the artist Giovanni Battista Piranesi. Rendered in the medium of etching, this piece belongs to the Neoclassicism art movement and represents a cityscape. It is part of the series known as “Le antichità Romane.”
In the artwork, we observe a meticulously detailed depiction of the Family Tomb of Plautius. The tomb stands prominently beside a road leading from Rome to Tivoli, near Ponte Lugano. Piranesi’s etching vividly showcases the grandeur and decay of Roman antiquity, capturing the tomb’s massive cylindrical structure adorned with architectural details. The surrounding landscape is accentuated by a dramatic sky, with broken structures and vegetation scattered throughout the scene, manifesting both the natural beauty and the historical richness of the area. Through intricate lines and careful attention to texture, Piranesi breathes life into this historical monument, emphasizing the enduring legacy of Roman architecture amidst the passage of time.
