Scene from The Gospel of St. Matthew
ArtistDesigned by
Guiseppe Galli Bibiena
(Italian, 1696 - 1756)
ArtistEngraved by
Johann Andreas Pfeffel
(German, 1674 - 1748)
CultureItalian
Date1740
MediumEngraving on laid paper
Dimensions20 1/4 × 13 1/2 in. (51.4 × 34.3 cm)
PortfolioPublished in Architectures and Perspectives , plate 8 from Part 1, Augsburg 1740
Credit LineMuseum purchase
Object number2017.27
Not on view
DescriptionA print of a theatrical set with a perspective view of a scene from the Gospel of St. Matthew by Giuseppe Galli Bibiena, (1696–1757) and Johann Andreas Pfeffel (1674 – 1748).Dedicated to the Majesty of Charles the Sixth
Label TextGiuseppe Galli Bibiena Italian, 1696−1756, Designer Johann Andreas Pfeffel German, 1674–1748, Engraver Scene from The Gospel of St. Matthew, Plate 8 from Book 1 of Architectures and Perspectives dedicated to the Majesty of Charles the Sixth, (Augsburg 1740) Engraving on laid paper Giuseppe Bibiena was a member of the most prominent Italian family of set designers and creators of festival architecture. Their ideas and works were widely published during the 18th century. The Bibiena family was especially influential in developing a new perspective technique called the “angled scene” with two vanishing points. That technique is employed in this image along with other methods to heighten the drama of the image, such as framing the scene within a series of arches and platforms and diminishing the size of the figures in comparison with the architecture. Piranesi adopted all of these visual ploys in his complex architectural representations. Museum purchase 2017.27 Exhibition History"Piranesi's Prisons: Legacy and Context," Chrysler Museum of Art, April 26 - September 2018.
