Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-1778); Italian engraver and architect; is best known for his etchings of ancient and baroque Rome and grandiose architectural constructions of his own imagination. Throughout most of his adult life Piranesi made etchings of views of the city; not only its antiquities; such as the Pantheon; but also its contemporary masterpieces such as the Capitoline and Piazza Navona. The scenes are animated with tiny; frail; fluttering figures. Long before he died his prints of his adopted city had caught the imagination of much of Europe. In 1771 Horace Walpole urged his fellow Englishmen to "study the sublime dreams of Piranesi; who seems to have conceived visions of Rome beyond what it boasted even in the meridian of its splendour. Savage as Salvator Rosa; fierce as Michelangelo; and exuberant as Rubens; he has imagined scenes that would startle geometry; and exhaust the Indies to realize."
#2434624 in eBooks 2004-11-17 2004-11-17File Name: B0099ZMI16
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Home again!By Barbara KaslowThank you Rich Shaffer and Ric Nelson for this beautiful book. I grew up very close to this neighborhood and drove past these architectural gems frequently. It was an easy way to get to Silver Spring from Rock Creek Hills. My parents knew about the history and sometimes we took a detour to see more. Now I have some beautiful images to preserve the memories as I moved away years ago. I always loved the Pagoda! I will enjoy reading this. It always felt like a hamlet to me.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Forest Glen HistoryBy W. JOYCEon time and good quality7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. Very Detailed and Hard To Put DownBy J. S. FaganI have been a resident of Forest Glen for over 6 years and have always been intrested in the rich history of the land around my house. This book has many photographs which I have never seen printed in other books about the region. Each picture is described in detail and the authors tell the reader what exists on that spot today if the structures have changed. If you live in Forest Glen and care about history then get this book.
