Giovanni Battista Piranesi, the engraver, widely known for his picturesque illustrations of eighteenth-century Rome, was also a skilled architect, surveyor, curator, antiquarian and archaeologist, creating one of the first comprehensibly visualized catalogs of roman antiquities. His apprenticeships to engineers, cartographers, theatrical scenographers, and muralists in his native Venice, unquestionably guided his imagination and acumen for the delineation and understanding of how to make pictures in light of the urban and natural landscapes as well as the interpretation of artifacts of roman antiquity. The "art and mind" of Piranesi continues to conjure the imagination of even most accomplished artists who study in Rome and remains a pivotal luminary used to orient studious visitors to the Eternal City and its vast visual metaphors and allusions. The course will cover Piranesi's essential contribution to our contemporary understanding of antiquity while presenting a practicum in the very image-making techniques used by Piranesi in the field. Workshops, tours, and lectures take place on the very sites of the artist's own discoveries, many which are emblematic of the scholarly and artistic pursuits of the Grand Tour at the forefront in Europe during Piranesi's life. This is an immersive and intense adventure into why artists and designers traditionally go to Rome and what they do while they are there: they draw, they explore and record what they see and experience so it can be shared with those who cannot. 

Students must complete an application through RISD Global to be added to this course. A minimum GPA of 2.5 is required, good conduct standing, and permission of the instructor. GPA, Student Conduct Standing, and standing with Equity and Compliance will be verified and may preclude a student from participation, either before or during the term. Most courses are open to first year students with approval from the Dean of Experimental and Foundation Studies.

Elective