Workshop of Giovanni Battista Piranesi
1720-1778
Weapons of Ancient Roman Design
ca. 1760-1775
10 3/4 x 13 5/16 inches (273 x 339 mm)
Black chalk on paper.
1966.11:41
Bequest of Junius S. Morgan and gift of Henry S. Morgan.
Notes
These studies of Roman arms are akin to those that appear on the base of Trajan's Column, though it is uncertain whether they date to ca. 1775, when Piranesi published his "Trofeo o sia Magnifica Colonna...," or to an earlier moment in the 1760s when Piranesi was actively collecting ancient motifs for use in various projects.
Inscriptions/Markings
Numbered at upper left, in graphite, "75".
Watermark: Fleur-de-lis inside circle, with bird above, and letter "B" below circle, centered on chain line. See also 1966.11:28.
Watermark: Fleur-de-lis inside circle, with bird above, and letter "B" below circle, centered on chain line. See also 1966.11:28.
Associated names
Morgan, Jane Norton, 1868-1925, former owner.
Morgan, Junius Spencer, 1892-1960, former owner.
Morgan, Henry S. (Henry Sturgis), 1900-1982, former owner.
Morgan, Junius Spencer, 1892-1960, former owner.
Morgan, Henry S. (Henry Sturgis), 1900-1982, former owner.
Bibliography
Stampfle, Felice. Giovanni Battista Piranesi, Drawings in the Pierpont Morgan Library. New York : Dover, 1978, no. 41, repr.
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