The Currency of Memory:

This project explores the usage of Roman coins as non-diegetic symbols in etchings by Giovanni Battista Piranesi, employing visual and historical analysis of iconography and specifically aiming to discover the symbolism and reasoning behind Giovanni Battista Piranesi’s inclusion of a coin in his etching View of the Remains of the Golden House of Nero (1756), along with similar depictions of coins in two other etchings from his series Le Antichità Romane. Using these examples, I am attempting to demonstrate how Piranesi used the coins to acknowledge Rome’s architectural history and support his argument that Roman architecture was worth admiration.

Relevant Pictures

A picture of "View of the Remains of the Golden House of Nero" by Giovanni Battista Piranesi, published in 1756. It is a rectangular black-and-white etching depicting the ruins of a Roman temple with three high arches in the distance of the upper-left corner. People and livestock roam what looks like an old courtyard, surrounded by the ruins. A scroll etched into the bottom-right corner to look like it is a part of the ruins holds the title in Italian. In the upper-right corner of that scroll is a circular object depicting a large Roman temple structure containing three statues. The letters S.C. are below the temple on the circular object.

F. 1, The Piece

Above: Giovanni Battista Piranesi, View of the Remains of the Golden House of Nero, 1756. Etching on paper. RCCAM Collection, Gift of Dr. Clive F. Getty, 2013.29. Photo by Mia DiFranco.

Close-up of the circular object in the bottom-right corner of View of the Remains of the Golden House of Nero, near the scroll. A circular object with a smaller ring inside, as if stamped. A Roman temple with six columns and three statues inside. The central one is male, the other two female. Below the temple steps are the letters S.C.

F. 2, The Focus

Above: Detail, bottom-right corner circular ornamentation. Giovanni Battista Piranesi, View of the Remains of the Golden House of Nero, 1756. Etching on paper. RCCAM Collection, Gift of Dr. Clive F. Getty, 2013.29. Photo by Mia DiFranco.

A picture of a book, focused on a small square etching of a capital letter I. It appears to be in front of a plate or coin depicting an architectural complex with stairs. In the bottom-left of the square frame, two coins depicting Roman architecture lie against the plate or coin with the letter I. Behind the right side of the plate/coin are more coins with similar depictions. Underneath the illustration on the paper is the text "Ornamental capital 'I'. Below that is "Indice...del Monte Capitolino." in italics, followed by "(Index... to the Capitoline Hill.)" Below that is "Unsigned. 85 x 103 mm. F150."

F. 3, Example A

Above: Giovanni Battista Piranesi, Ornamental capital “I”. From Wilton-Ely 1994, p. 333. Picture by Mia DiFranco.

A picture from a book depicting another etching, this one in two parts, vertically stacked. The top is designed to look like a stone fragment with a map on it and a scale below it. To either side of it are two coins, which will be described later. The bottom part of the etching, labeled "E. II" (perhaps 11), depicts a ruin on a hill with letter labels scattered around. The bottom of the etching has a substantial amount of text, not relevant to the understanding of this presentation. Below the etching on the page of the book lie the following pieces of text: "XLIIII. ... Pianta del Monte Capitolino..." "... Plan of the Capitoline Hill..." "With inset view of the principal physical features." "Signature, lower right." "355 x 255 mm." "F223, C44."

F. 4, Example B

Above: Giovanni Battista Piranesi, “XLIIII. ... Pianta del Monte Capitolino...” From Wilton-Ely 1994, p. 408. Picture by Mia DiFranco.

Detail of the coins from Fig. 3. Two coins. The foremost one depicts a six-column Roman temple with the letters S.C. underneath it. The one in the background is mostly obscured, but appears to be a two-story Roman building with columns and some sort of ornamentation above it.

F. 5, Detail A

Above: Detail of coin, Giovanni Battista Piranesi, Ornamental capital “I”. From Wilton-Ely 1994, p. 333. Picture by Mia DiFranco.

Detail of the upper-left coin from Fig. 4. A detailed Roman temple with ten columns. The temple extends out behind the main façade on either side, supported by more pillars. There is a door on the inside of the temple and the roof contains many ornamental elements. Above the temple are the words IOVI CAPITOLINO, below it S.C.

F. 6, Detail B

Above: Detail of left-side coin, Giovanni Battista Piranesi, “XLIIII. ... Pianta del Monte Capitolino...” From Wilton-Ely 1994, p. 408. Picture by Mia DiFranco.

Detail of the upper-right coin from Fig. 4. A triangular element, possibly a staircase, leads up to a small building. On either side of it are two matching temples, each with six columns and ornamentation. Around the depictions in a ring are the words "IOVI FERETRIO AC MARTI S.C."

F. 7, Detail C

Above: Detail of right-side coin, Giovanni Battista Piranesi, “XLIIII. ... Pianta del Monte Capitolino...” From Wilton-Ely 1994, p. 408. Picture by Mia DiFranco.

A worn ancient Roman coin, tinted green with time. There are six pillars, three statues in the middle with a statue on the left side. The roof is ornamented. Below the temples' steps are the letters S.C.

F. 8, Matching Coin

Above: reverse of a coin by Vespasian depicting the Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus. Image from Classical Numismatic Group, LLC.

Another etching by Giovanni Battista Piranesi. Three large arches recede into the background, the same as the ones in the distance of Fig. 1. People, livestock, and carts are nearby. In the bottom-right corner is a rectangle with text on it. Below the etching is "Veduta degli avanzi del Tablino della Casa aurea di Nerone detti volgarmente il Tempio della Pace." Below that, "View of the remains of the Dining Room of the Golden House of Nero commonly called the Temple of Peace." Below that, in smaller letters: "The Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine. Signature, lower left. 485 x 705 mm. F751, H114, C771."

F. 9, Other Piranesi Depiction

Right: Giovanni Battista Piranesi, “View of the remains of the Dining Room of the Golden House[...].” From Wilton-Ely 1994, p. 290. Picture by Mia DiFranco.

A picture of a part of a page of a book. It depicts a diagram of a temple complex. Two concentric squares made of columns house two temples, relatively the same size but with different column layouts. The left one is labeled A, the right one B. They both have six columns in the front. The right one is completely surrounded by columns, while the left one is not. Below the diagram is a scale and an arrow pointing north. Next to the diagram is the label, "36. Porticus Metelli (Octaviae): (A) Temple of Juno Regina, 187-179 B.C., (B) Temple of Jupiter Stator, 143-131 B.C. Drawing: John W. Stamper based on Rodolfo Lanciani, Forma Urbis Romae, (1990), pls. 21 and 28."

F. 10, Temple Diagram

Above: diagram of the Temple of Juno Regina (left) and Jupiter Stator (right). From Stamper 2005, p. 55, fig. 36. Based on Rodolfo Lanciani, Forma Urbis Romae, 1990. Picture by Mia DiFranco.

Research Questions

What do these coins depict?

Why did Piranesi include them in these etchings?

What do they depict?

The first major step in the research process was identifying the coins that Piranesi depicted.

Dr. Steven Tuck from the History Department at Miami University was able to identify the coin depicted in View of the Remains of the Golden House of Nero (see f. 1, f. 2) as a coin minted by Vespasian or Domitian depicting the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus (here referred to by one of its other names, the Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus) (2026. E-mail message to author, March 31). A search for the coins Dr. Tuck mentioned yields a very close match to Piranesi's coin, f. 8. This means it matches one of the other temples Piranesi depicted (f. 6), labeled IOVI CAPITOLINO (Jupiter Capitolinus). The Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus was a very significant temple built on Capitoline Hill and reconstructed either by Vespasian or Domitian. Later Roman temples drew inspiration from it, making it a logical choice for Piranesi to pick in order to assert the value of Roman architecture.

Setting aside the coins from the ornamental capital "I," given that they are comparatively not as significant, we move on to the coins from the Pianta del Monte Capitolino, (fig. 4, fig. 6, fig. 7).

One is the Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus, as previously stated. The other is less cut and dry. The inscription labels it as the Temple of Jupiter Feretrius and Mars. The Temple of Jupiter Feretrius is a real temple, but the Temple of Mars is, as best as my research has been able to uncover, not a specific building. Therefore, my research examined a possible match (the Temple of Mars Ultor), as well as pairs of temples in general.

What's in a Name

“[The Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine] was known as ‘the Temple of Peace,’ from the actual but long-since-vanished temple which stood nearby in Vespasian’s forum of that name[...]It was called ‘the Temple of Peace’ well into the nineteenth century” (Scherer p. 78, citing Whitehead 1927, p. 1-5, bold mine)

Many Ancient Roman buildings have been called multiple things from the time of their construction to the modern day. Piranesi's works show an interesting manifestation of that process.

Piranesi depicted the same building as the one from the focus piece (the building he calls The Golden House of Nero) in one of his earlier series of etchings, entitled Vedute di Roma, fig. 9. In it, he includes an inscription which Wilton-Ely translates as "View of the remains of the Dining Room of the Golden House of Nero commonly called the Temple of Peace." Piranesi is suggesting a duality with both of those names, or perhaps indicating that he believes the term "Temple of Peace" is incorrect and it is actually the Golden House of Nero. In his time, judging by Scherer's quote, it would indeed have been called the Temple of Peace and linked to Vespasian. Nowadays, we in fact call that same building the Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine.

Conclusions

Conclusion 1: A Case of Attribution

So what we’re potentially seeing here in the etching at the RCCAM (fig. 1) is Piranesi using the coin to acknowledge an opposing view. That is, in Vedute di Roma (fig. 9), he uses the caption to suggest that it may not be the Temple of Peace. In the etching at the RCCAM from Le Antichità Romane, (fig. 1), I propose that Piranesi uses a coin minted by Vespasian or Domitian instead, to insinuate the same idea while centering his opinion that the building is the Golden House of Nero. Piranesi specifically uses the Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus to support his belief that Roman architecture is worthy of admiration and imitation. Specifically, he includes it to suggest the grandeur of Roman architecture and the architectural heritage established by the temple. Furthermore, he also possibly uses the coin to acknowledge the Temple of Peace via including another example of a building Vespasian may have (re)built.

Conclusion 2: A Case of Mistaken Identity

The Temple of Jupiter Feretrius was built by Romulus (Stamper 2005, p. 6), thus relating it to the origin story of Rome as a whole. The most well-known temple dedicated to Mars, and one of very few I have come across in my research, is the Temple of Mars Ultor. Springer notes Mars Ultor as being a sort of successor to Jupiter Feretrius in its significance, coinciding with the decline of the Cult of Jupiter Feretrius (1954). However, I believe that the temple depicted on the Piranesi coin (fig. 7) is not in fact the Temple of Mars Ultor. A drawing by Stamper and based on Kockel and Bauer indicates that the Temple of Mars Ultor was very large and, more importantly, in its own forum rather than as a pair of temples (2005, p. 137)

I propose that a possible match for what Piranesi was really including on the coin is the temples of Jupiter Stator and Juno Regina. They were a set of two temples, each with six columns and reflecting some Greek style. Unlike the Temple of Mars Ultor, Stamper places Jupiter Stator and Juno Regina their own forum as a pair of temples about the same size (fig. 10). They are not on Capitoline Hill, but they are nearby. Piranesi including these temples in a coin would perhaps make sense considering their architectural heritage and a possible connection to coinage -- another temple related to Juno, the temple of Juno Moneta, "housed the offices of Rome's early mint" (Scherer 1955 p. 37).

Acknowledgements

I (Mia DiFranco) wish to extend heartfelt acknowledgements and gratitude to the following individuals and entities:

Dr. Jordan Fenton, for his instruction in ART285 and serving as the advisor for this project.

Dr. Steven Tuck, for his identification of the coin and expertise on Ancient Rome.

Jason Shaiman, for allowing me to examine the print out of the frame, discussing my ideas with me, and lending me a book which was helpful for research.

The Richard and Carole Cocks Art Museum at Miami University, for being an integral resource for me and any student on campus wanting to experience the arts.

Gregory Alan Isakov, whose music is one of the few things I can listen to while I research and write.

The main title for this project, "The Currency of Memory," is taken from the song "Heal" by song artist Sleeping At Last.

Bibliography

Bacou, Rosaline. 1975. Piranesi: Etchings and Drawings. New York Graphic Society.

Butler, Mark D., Kathleen A. James, Oliver C. Shell, David Steinberg, Susan G. Solomon, Michele T. Taylor, et. al. 1989. Piranesi: Rome Recorded. Arthur Ross Gallery.

Ericsson, Christoffer H. 1980. “Roman Architecture Expressed in Sketches by Francesco di Giorgio Martini,” Commentationes Humanarum Litterarum 66.

Kent, J. P. C., Max Hirmer, Albert Hirmer. 1978. Roman Coins. Thames & Hudson.

Mattingly, Harold. 1928. Roman Coins. Methuen.

Miller, Elizabeth. 1999. 16th-Century Italian Ornament Prints in the Victoria and Albert Museum. V&A Publications.

Robinson, Andrew. 1986. Piranesi: Early Architectural Fantasies. University of Chicago Press.

Scherer, Margaret R. 1955. Marvels of Ancient Rome. Phaidon Press.

Springer, Lawrence A. 1954. “The Cult and Temple of Jupiter Feretrius” The Classical Journal 50, No. 1 (Oct., 1954), pp. 27-32). https://www.jstor.org/stable/3293441.

Stamper, John W. 2005. The Architecture of Roman Temples: The Republic to the Middle Empire. Cambridge University Press.

Sutherland, C. H. V. 1999. Roman Coins. Putnam.

Weiner, Victor. 1971. “Eighteenth-Century Italian Prints.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New Series 29, no. 5 (Jan., 1971): 203-225. https://doi.org/10.2307/3258654.

Wilton-Ely, John. 1994. Giovanni Battista Piranesi: The Complete Etchings, Vol. 1. Alan Wofsy Fine Arts.

NACE Career Readiness Competencies

Career and Self-Development:

I completed in-depth research on an art historical topic, which allowed me to confirm my interest in doing research in art history as part of my future career. I also engaged with my own curiosity in my topic, harnessing it to complete the project thoroughly and with personal satisfaction in my efforts. Furthermore, I was able to build connections with faculty and staff both within and outside the Art department.

Communication:

This was my first time doing an academic research presentation, so it was a learning experience to figure out how to condense all of my research and make it digestible for those who know little about the topic.

Leadership:

I took initiative on this project, working solo as a researcher. Since this project was initially for my class "Writing and the Visual Arts," I had to make my own timeline to complete my research and presentations for both that class and the Undergraduate Research Forum. I learned how to balance research with other commitments and use my motivation to go beyond any sort of surface-level research and really search for something deeper.

Research Compliance Protocols

N/A. This project did not necessitate the usage of any research compliance protocols.

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