The Digital Piranesi

Plate XI

Most of the elements in Plate X make reference to the nautical repertoire that Piranesi, "Venetian architect," was so familiar with. From the overall configuration of the space and the architectural elements such as the platform with sentry boxes to the details like the shell under the archway to the left of the illustration, this plate displays a rich array of artifacts linked to seafaring activities. Among them, one of the most prominent is the broken mast and sail and boat fragments alike that Piranesi depicted on a deck-like surface that resembles the prow of a ship. The illustration suggests a sense of movement in which the ship, partially represented, glides toward the passageway under the bridge. Nonetheless, the clash between the vessel and the architecture seems inevitable. 

It is also in this plate that, from the first to the second edition, Piranesi effectively operates one of the most dramatic expansions of the space in the whole series. The artist multiplied the formerly somewhat flattened background towards the depth of the pictorial space, greatly extending the interior areas inside the building. 
Piranesi releases the space in the lower half of the illustration by replacing the barred grid below the archway with an open passage that reveals the depths of the space. Likewise, in the upper half, countless new areas seem to grow in profundity and intricacy. Correspondingly, the second state is much more populated with human figures, including a procession that takes place in the projected platform between the two sentry boxes. As in other plates, people hang a cloth on the parapet, emulating the Catholic festivals that occurred in Piranesi's time. 

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