The Temple of Isis at Pompeii

1788
(Italian, 1758–1810)
hand-colored by
(French, 1743–1804)
Sheet: 47.7 x 69.6 cm (18 3/4 x 27 3/8 in.); Secondary Support: 59.2 x 81.3 cm (23 5/16 x 32 in.)
Catalogue raisonné: Piranesi XXXII, 7; Wollin p. 113 no. 7 I/II
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Location: not on view

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Description

Trained as a stage designer and architect, Desprez was a talented watercolorist. He collaborated with Francesco Piranesi—the son of the more celebrated printmaker Giovanni Piranesi (1720–1778)—by drawing views of Naples, Rome, and Pompeii that Piranesi etched. Desprez then completed the prints with watercolor. The scene of tourists enjoying the ruins at Pompeii demonstrates how interest in antiquity had been augmented by the archaeological excavations at Herculaneum (1737) and Pompeii (1748). The discovery of homes, furnishings, and personal artifacts revealed the domestic aspects of ancient life.
The Temple of Isis at Pompeii

The Temple of Isis at Pompeii

1788

Francesco Piranesi, Louis Jean Desprez

(Italian, 1758–1810), (French, 1743–1804)
Italy, 18th century

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