Giovanni Battista (or Giambattista) Piranesi (Italian pronunciation: [d?o'vanni bat'tista pira'ne?zi; -e?si]; also known as simply Piranesi; 4 October 1720 – 9 November 1778) was an Italian artist famous for his etchings of Rome and of fictitious and atmospheric "prisons" (Le Carceri d'Invenzione).
He was the father of Francesco Piranesi and Laura Piranesi.