Etching of a vaulted stone arch with a hanging lantern on a chain, a shell ornament at left, and small figures near a grille at lower right.

The Arch with a Shell Ornament, Imaginary Prisons plate 11

An etching of a towering vaulted arch of stone blocks, with a shell-shaped ornament at the left edge and a lantern hanging from a long chain. Small figures stand by a grille at lower right, and dense hatched lines create deep shadows across the vast interior.

Artist: Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Date: c. 1750
Medium: Etching and engraving on heavy ivory laid paper
Source: Art Institute of Chicago
Size: 1686 × 1186 px

Download full size

Public domain · Art Institute of Chicago releases this image under CC0 (latest date 1755).
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, Clarence Buckingham Collection

18th century engraving etching lantern piranesi vaulted arches dramatic shadows imaginary prisons stone masonry black and white