Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Here we find the Egyptian cat goddess Bastet and crocodile god Sobek, as well as scarab beetles, locusts, pyramids, and hieroglyphs. An inventive interpretation, or capriccio, of ancient Egyptian decoration, these designs by the Italian artist Giovanni Battista Piranesi once covered the walls of a coffeehouse in Rome. Known as the Caffè degli Inglesi (English Coffeehouse), it occupied a prime location at the foot of the Spanish Steps and was a popular meeting place for British artists traveling through the city. The cafe’s interior, completed in 1776, reflected a European fascination with ancient Egyptian art, archeology, and spirituality.