Artifact of Ottopia No. 2
2004.06.30
Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Sepulchrum Mariae Honorij Imp. Uxoris, Stiliconis filiae
Sarcophagus of Maria, the wife of Emperor Honoris and the daughter of Stilico
probably post-1810 printing from 1762 copper plate
Re: lack of life excerpt
2002.01.19 11:46
[On 4 December 1519,] the sarcophagus of Maria was discovered (very likely while the old basilica was being demolished to make way for the new/present one). The sarcophagus of Maria may well be the last substantial imperial artifact of (the city of) Rome, and after an illustrious title page and a frontispiece, it is an image of the sarcophagus of Maria that Piranesi uses to begin his Campo Marzio publication. In a most elegantly covert way, Piranesi began the 'history' of the Campo Marzio with what is really it's ending, and what is probably the world's greatest designed architectural inversionary double theater goes on from there.
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