December 2, 2024 ~ 6 pm
The Italian Cultural Institute of Washington presents “Piranesi’s Rome: Views of the Eternal City“, a conversation on the special exhibition curated by students and alumni of George Washington University showcasing Giovanni Battista Piranesi‘s 18th century masterful etchings in The George Washington University Collection. The evening will showcase the research findings and insights into the artist of George Washington’s students in conversation with Professor Jonathan Bober and Dr. Rachel Pollack.
Piranesi was more than a mere printmaker. He was a visionary architect and proto-archaeologist who set the tone for how successive generations comprehend ancient Rome. He was also a visionary artist whose cinemagraphic sensibilities inspired artists such as M.C. Escher (1898-1972), Giorgio de Chirico (1888-1978), and the expressionist filmmaker Fritz Lang (1890-1976). Piranesi’s sphere of influence is far reaching and resonates across time and the boundaries of Italy.
Join us for this snapshot into “Piranesi’s Rome: Views of the Eternal City“, currently on display at the Luther W. Brady Art Gallery, at George Washington University, through December 7th, 2024. Come learn more about Piranesi’s position in the canon of western art, the ways in which his art anticipates nineteenth century Romanticism and even twentieth century Modernism, and how his vast oeuvre of over 1000 individual etchings continue to shape our vision of both ancient and modern Rome. A preview of the printed exhibition catalogue and the permanent online exhibition will also be shared at this event.
To visit the exhibition proper please go to the Luther W. Brady Art Gallery’s web site for opening hours and additional information here: https://bradygallery.gwu.edu/
LOCATION
Embassy of Italy
3000 Whitehaven Street NW
Washington, DC 20008
Click on button below for availability
REGISTRATION REQUIRED AND ACCEPTED EXCLUSIVELY THROUGH EVENTBRITE
Professor Jonathan Bober served as senior curator of prints and drawings at National Gallery of Art (2011–2023) where he oversaw the continuing work and growth of the National Gallery’s three departments of prints and drawings. Bober led the acquisition of nearly 5,500 prints and drawings by purchase, gift, and promised gift, most notably 18th-century Venetian and 19th-century Italian, making the Gallery’s holdings the most significant in the US. During his tenure in this position, Bober organized ten National Gallery exhibitions. Bober is the author of many catalog essays and scholarly articles appearing in such periodicals as Master Drawings, The Burlington Magazine, and Arte Lombarda. These concern painting and drawing as well as printmaking in 16th- and 17th-century Milan, Cremona, Venice, and Genoa. He is currently organizing two exhibitions in Italy, one on Genoese drawings from private collections, the other on the graphic arts in Milan between the Risorgimento and Futurism.
ABOUT DR. RACHEL POLLACK
Dr. Rachel Pollack is a professor at George Washington University’s University Writing Program and has taught courses for the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design and the University Honors Program. She has a PhD in Art History from the University of Maryland where she specialized in Northern Baroque art with a subspecialty in Greco-Roman sculpture. She has authored catalogue entries for exhibitions related to 17th century Dutch masters, as well as for The Leiden Collection in New York and the George and Linda Kaufman Collection. Most recently, she curated two micro-exhibitions at the The Textile Museum and published an article in the Textile Museum Journal on 17th century English embroidery in the museum’s collection. Her most recent exhibition at the Luther W. Brady Gallery, Piranesi’s Rome: Views of the Eternal City, is co-curated by her students at GW and her Summer 2024 GW class ‘Discovering the Romans’. Pollack is also a watercolor artist and is an active contributor to Arte Studio Ginestrelle in Assisi, Italy, where she exhibits her work at their Annual Fall Show (2018-Present).
ABOUT THE FEATURED STUDENTS
Fiona Stokes – Fiona Stokes, current intern at the Luther W. Brady Art Gallery, will share with us the virtual exhibition which will be permanently accessible on the gallery website and various highlights from the show. She also is the designer of the exhibition’s printed catalogue which will soon be available for purchase.Fiona’s interest in Greco-Roman art was inspired by Professor Pollack’s Greek Ideal in Art course, and has recently declared her double-major in Art History and International Affairs.
Grace Suter – Grace Suter is a third-year Art History and Psychology student at George Washington University. For this exhibit, she wrote the exhibition labels for all the etchings in the show and she served as a contributing editor for the exhibition catalogue. Grace authored and edited several entries, including Piranesi etching, Veduta interna dell’Atrio del Portico di Octavia, and the entry on Piranesi’s Veduta del Mausoleo d’Elio Adriano. This evening Grace will discuss Piranesi’s view of Hadrian’s Mausoleum (The Castel St. Angelo) and the complex history of this historical monument, ranging from its original purpose as a dynastic burial monument to a place of refuge, a military stronghold, and subsequently a site for executions/imprisonment during Piranesi’s lifetime.
John Fine – John Fine is an alumnus of George Washington University, having graduated in May 2023. He currently serves as a contributing editor of the Luther W. Brady Art Gallery’s exhibition catalogue, Piranesi’s Rome: Views of the Eternal City. Although not an art historian by profession, John Fine has a passion for art history from his minor in Classical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies at the George Washington University. This evening John will present: Tombs Along the Way: An Exploration of Ancient Roman Tombs As Depicted by Giovanni Battista Piranesi on the Appian and Tiburtina Way. In his talk, he will explore Piranesi’s misattributions of two ancient tombs and the controversies and confusions that surrounded these sites for tourists and antiquarian enthusiasts on the ‘Grand Tour’.
Nikolas Diakolios – Nikolas Diakolios graduated from The George Washington University in 2023 with a BA in History and a Minor in Archaeology. He is looking to start a masters in Classical Archaeology and is currently learning Attic Greek. Tonight he will present Mossy Walls and Toppled Columns: What makes Piranesi’s Ruins Compelling. In this talk he will discuss how Piranesi’s depictions of ruins are particularly apt at captivating the minds of tourists, both in Piranesi’s time and ours, by examining Interior view of the Cavern of the Acqua Virgo and View of the Remains of the Pronaos of the Building Known as the College des Anfictions.
Cristian Abarca – Cristian Abarca is an International Affairs & Economics major at George Washington University interested in conducting research and novel analysis on a wide range of subjects, from international macroeconomic trends to 18th-century Italian art. He composes material for student newsletters, undergraduate research journals,and various student organizations. He is currently a contributing editor and writer for the exhibition catalogue, Piranesi’s Rome. In his talk, Cristian will take us on a journey through the haunting world of G.B. Piranesi’s ‘Imaginary Prisons’ series, exploring its artistic mastery and enduring cultural impact. Cristian will delve into Piranesi’s innovative etching techniques, the series’ profound themes of power and isolation, and its far-reaching influence on art, architecture, and literature, from de Chirico to M.C. Escher, while examining its continued relevance in contemporary discussions of surveillance and individual freedom.
