What is the largest sharp print size for The Round Tower, from "Carceri d'invenzione" (Imaginary Prisons)?

At 300 dpi, this 2,883 × 3,750 px file prints up to 9.6 × 12.5 in with gallery-sharp detail. At 150 dpi the file reaches 19.2 × 25 in, which is poster-sharp quality.

Which standard frame sizes give gallery-sharp prints of The Round Tower, from "Carceri d'invenzione" (Imaginary Prisons)?

Gallery-sharp (300 dpi or above) frame sizes: 8 × 10 in. Sharp-to-poster-quality sizes also work: 11 × 14 in, 12 × 16 in, 16 × 20 in, 18 × 24 in.

The Round Tower, from "Carceri d'invenzione" (Imaginary P… — Giovanni Battista Piranesi | Free high-res download

Q: Does printing The Round Tower, from "Carceri d'invenzione" (Imaginary Prisons) require cropping the image?

Standard frame aspect ratios may not match this artwork exactly; depending on the size chosen, up to 13% of the image could be cropped. Most print-on-demand services let you adjust the crop position or add a white mat border instead.

The Round Tower, from "Carceri d'invenzione" (Imaginary Prisons)

Public domain · CC0 · $0.002,883 × 3,750 px · 10.8 MP

Prints gallery-sharp up to9.6 × 12.5 inat 300 dpi, uncropped · poster-sharp to 19.2 × 25 in at 150 dpi

The download is the Met's own open-access file, served by the Met. Big file — give it a minute.

Build the wall set

Art, frame, light and hanging gear, picked together. Choose a size and finish; the wall preview shows exactly what you're getting. One button sends the whole kit to your Amazon cart.

Amazon sells the physical items, sets their prices and availability, and may pay us a commission. The free museum file is separate. How we get paid →

How big can you print it?

Standard frame sizes, turned to match the artwork. "Crops" is how much of the picture you lose filling that frame edge to edge — or keep it all and let a mat take up the difference.

Frame	Effective dpi	Verdict	Crops
8 × 10 in	360	Gallery sharp	4%
11 × 14 in	262	Sharp up close	2%
12 × 16 in	234	Sharp up close	2%
16 × 20 in	180	Poster sharp	4%
18 × 24 in	156	Poster sharp	2%
24 × 36 in	104	Fine across a room	13%
30 × 40 in	93	Too soft	2%

Will it fit over your couch? Put this one on your wall, to scale — crop or mat, frame size, hang height and the order.

The ticket

The Round Tower, from "Carceri d'invenzione" (Imaginary Prisons) is a print by Giovanni Battista Piranesi (Italian, Mogliano Veneto 1720–1778 Rome), dated ca. 1749–50. Etching, engraving, sulphur tint or open bite, burnishing; first state of four (Robison). Size on the museum record: Sheet: 24 13/16 x 19 1/2 in. (63 x 49.5 cm) Plate: 21 7/16 x 16 5/16 in. (54.5 x 41.5 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds it in its Drawings and Prints collection — Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1937.

In The Met's records, The Round Tower, from "Carceri d'invenzione" (Imaginary Prisons) is an etching, engraving, sulphur tint or open bite, burnishing; first state of four (robison) credited to Giovanni Battista Piranesi. The museum dates it ca. 1749–50 (accession 37.45.3(27), Drawings and Prints). Spend a minute with the composition before choosing a size: notice where the eye lands first and where it rests. The Met's scan measures 2,883 × 3,750 pixels, which prints about 9.6 × 12.5 in at 300 dpi and 19.2 × 25.0 in at a still-comfortable 150 dpi. Its tall proportions suit a hallway, a narrow wall or the gap beside a door, and the set builder shows how much each standard frame would crop. Its muted earth tones are forgiving: natural wood softens the palette, walnut deepens it and black frames it like a gallery. Line work lives on contrast. Print it on smooth bright paper and give it a wider frame or mat so the fine marks are not swallowed. Light it from above with a soft warm bulb, hang the centre of the picture near 57 inches, and it will read as intended instead of as decoration.

The Met released its scan under CC0, which means no permission, no fee and no credit line required. That file is 2,883 × 3,750 pixels — 10.8 megapixels — good for a gallery-sharp print up to 9.6 × 12.5 in. The print itself measures about 19.5 × 24.8 in, so a true life-size print runs below 300 dpi — still sharp at normal viewing distance.Line work lives or dies on contrast. Print it on a smooth, bright paper and give it a wide mat: small graphic work drowns in a thin frame and a big empty border makes it look like it came out of a print room drawer.

On the receipt

Artist: Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Date: ca. 1749–50
Medium: Etching, engraving, sulphur tint or open bite, burnishing; first state of four (Robison)
Size: Sheet: 24 13/16 x 19 1/2 in. (63 x 49.5 cm) Plate: 21 7/16 x 16 5/16 in. (54.5 x 41.5 cm)
Museum: The Met · Drawings and Prints
Accession: 37.45.3(27)
License: Public domain · CC0 1.0
Source: Museum record ↗