This is an original very early Giovanni Piranesi etching. It is titled: "Veduta interna della Basilica di S. Pietro in Vaticano vicino alla Tribuna", meaning
"Internal view of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican near the Tribuna." It was from the Vedute di Roma series, which Piranesi is best known for. These striking, monumental images of the ancient grandeur of the Roman Empire provided inspiration for many of the artists of the Neoclassical movement in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It appears in the Hind catalog as image number 102. The image measures 19 1/4 X 26 1/4 inches on 21 X 28 1/4 inch laid paper. This printing is from the 1st Paris edition, created between 1800-1807 when the family brought the original plates to Paris. There is a "2V" after the signature that dates this etching and makes this the 2nd state of three. A very rich impression not seen in the later restrikes.
