Artwork
Sig. Nicola Zabbaglia
Sig. Nicola Zabbaglia is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Giovanni Battista Piranesi. It dates from 1764 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Created in 1764, *Sig.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1764, *Sig. Nicola Zabbaglia* is an etching on laid paper executed by Giovanni Battista Piranesi, the 18th‑century Italian architect and antiquarian famed for his architectural prints. The image portrays a stout, shirtless figure seated at a cluttered table, accompanied by a small dog, and rendered with the crisp linear quality characteristic of Piranesi’s printmaking.
Subject & Meaning
The composition focuses on a solitary, perspiring man whose red‑tinged face and loose, tied shirt suggest a moment of informal repose. He cradles a dog on his lap while reaching for a glass amid a scattered array of a bottle, cup, and partially eaten food, evoking a scene of everyday domesticity rather than the grand historic subjects usually associated with the artist.
Technique & Style
Piranesi employed traditional copper‑plate etching, drawing directly onto the metal surface before the acid bath created the fine, sharp lines that define the figure’s weight and texture. The use of laid paper adds a subtle ribbed texture, enhancing the tactile sense of the scene while maintaining the atmospheric clarity typical of his work.
History & Provenance
The print is known from a proof state, indicating it was likely produced as a trial before a larger edition. As a work by Piranesi, it forms part of his broader output that includes both monumental architectural vistas and more intimate genre studies, reflecting the range of his interests in the mid‑18th century.
Context
While Piranesi is most celebrated for his dramatic depictions of Roman ruins and imagined prisons, *Sig. Nicola Zabbaglia* demonstrates his capacity to capture ordinary moments with the same meticulous attention to line. The inclusion of a domestic animal and the informal setting align the work with contemporary genre prints that explored daily life.
Artist & collection
Artist
Giovanni Battista (or Giambattista) Piranesi (Italian pronunciation: ; also known as simply Piranesi; 4 October 1720 – 9 November 1778) was an Italian classical archaeologist, architect, and artist, famous for his…
