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Source Description
Buried under layers of volcanic ash since the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE, the ancient Roman sites of Herculaneum and Pompeii were rediscovered and excavated in the 1700s. Remarkably well preserved, the two cities captured the imagination of Enlightenment Europe. Artists Francesco Piranesi and Louis Jean Desprez capitalized on the popularity of the ancient sites, creating an innovative souvenir of Pompeii. Etched by Piranesi, the prints were based on Desprez’s real-life observations. The latter artist hand colored and signed select impressions that the two advertised as <em>dessins coloriés</em>, or colored drawings, meant only for <em>hommes de goût</em>, or "men of taste."
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
161941
label
The Temple of Isis at Pompeii
core
obj
dtoType
print
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
161941
contentType
print
title
The Temple of Isis at Pompeii
description
Buried under layers of volcanic ash since the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE, the ancient Roman sites of Herculaneum and Pompeii were rediscovered and excavated in the 1700s. Remarkably well preserved, the two cities captured the imagination of Enlightenment Europe. Artists Francesco Piranesi and Louis Jean Desprez capitalized on the popularity of the ancient sites, creating an innovative souvenir of Pompeii. Etched by Piranesi, the prints were based on Desprez’s real-life observations. The latter artist hand colored and signed select impressions that the two advertised as <em>dessins coloriés</em>, or colored drawings, meant only for <em>hommes de goût</em>, or "men of taste."
date
1788
citation
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q79985363
creators
39673
39670
genreSpecific
Print
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
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.)
cul
Italy, 18th century
accession
2001.19
Source extras
tec
etching, hand-colored with watercolor
tombstone
The Temple of Isis at Pompeii, 1788. Francesco Piranesi (Italian, 1758–1810), Louis Jean Desprez (French, 1743–1804). Etching, hand-colored with watercolor; 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.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund, 2001.19
supportMaterials
description
laid paper with added decorative border, lined with secondary sheet of laid paper
collection
PR - Etching
stateOfTheWork
state I/II
inscriptions
inscription
signed in black ink on decorative margin, lower margin:Desprez
didYouKnow
Francesco Piranesi visited Pompeii with his father in the 1770s.
citations
citation
Zuchtriegel, Gabriel, and Renata Picone, eds.<em> Il Tempio Di Iside a Pompei: Conoscenza, Scavo, Restauro E Fruizione Inclusiva. </em> [Naples]: Arte’m, 2025.
page_number
Mentioned and reproduced: p. 22, 29
catalogueRaisonne
Piranesi XXXII, 7; Wollin p. 113 no. 7 I/II
creditline
John L. Severance Fund
updatedAt
2026-05-29 08:24:58.096000
sourceId
161941
dept
Prints
coll
PR - Etching
med
etching, hand-colored with watercolor
creatorTags
male
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
89b723ea47ed7fac