View along the Via del Corso of the Palazzo dell'Accademia, established by Louis XIV, King of France for French students of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture..., from Vedute di Roma (Views of Rome), part I

Piranesi arrived in Rome in 1740 and quickly perceived the demand for views of the city. By 1748, he had produced the first of 135 etchings of classical and Baroque Rome, the 'Vedute di Roma' (Views of Rome). The series evolved over the remaining three decades of his career. This view of the Palazzo Mancini (the seat of the French Academy since 1725), emphasizes the dramatic perspective of the Corso and reveals Piranesi's interest in the topography as well as in contemporary urban life.