The artwork titled “The Roman antiquities, t. 3, Plate XV. View of a large boulder, a relic of the Tomb of the Family? Metelli on the Appian Way about five miles from the Porta S. Sebastian, in the Hamlet of S. Maria Nuova, etc.” is an etching by Giovanni Battista Piranesi. This piece belongs to the Neoclassicism art movement and is categorized under the genre of a capriccio. It is part of the series “Le antichità Romane.”
The artwork depicts a large, ancient boulder, which is part of the dilapidated tomb attributed to the Family Metelli, located on the famous Roman road, the Appian Way. The detailed etching captures the ruinous grandeur of the structure, highlighting its weather-worn stones and overgrown vegetation, typical of Piranesi’s artistic fascination with Rome’s monumental past. The scene is further enriched with figures and architectural elements, presenting a compelling view of historical decay and the passage of time.
