Axial Commons Image Treasury
Dark etching of a vaulted prison interior with arches, wooden cranes, ladders and tiny figures on walkways, by Piranesi.

The Arch with a Shell Ornament, plate 11 from Imaginary Prisons

Dense black etching shows a vast vaulted prison interior, with tall arches receding into shadow and wooden cranes, beams and ladders crowding the foreground. Tiny figures stand on walkways among the machinery, and the fine parallel lines give the scene a dim, labyrinthine depth.

Artist
Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Date
1761
Medium
Etching on heavy ivory laid paper
Source
Art Institute of Chicago
Size
1686 × 1285 px
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Public domain · Art Institute of Chicago releases this image under CC0 (latest date 1761).
Rights checked 2026-11-05 · tier A · as stated by the source: CC0 (Art Institute of Chicago, is_public_domain=true)

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): Art Institute of Chicago, The Wallace L. DeWolf and Joseph Brooks Fair Collections

Español: El arco con ornamento de concha, lámina 11 de Prisiones imaginarias

Un denso grabado al aguafuerte muestra una vasta cámara abovedada de prisión, con altos arcos que se pierden en la sombra y grúas, vigas y escaleras de madera en primer plano. Pequeñas figuras se sitúan en pasarelas entre la maquinaria, y las finas líneas paralelas dan a la escena una profundidad oscura y laberíntica.

Português: O arco com ornamento de concha, prancha 11 de Prisões imaginárias

Um denso gravura em água-forte mostra uma vasta câmara abobadada de prisão, com altos arcos que se perdem na sombra e guindastes, vigas e escadas de madeira em primeiro plano. Pequenas figuras aparecem em passarelas entre a maquinaria, e as linhas paralelas finas dão à cena uma profundidade escura e labiríntica.

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