Hadrian's Villa: The Apse of the Hall of the Philosophers (Avanzi di una Sala appartenente al Castro Pretorio nella villa Adriana in Tivoli)

The purpose of this room in Hadrian’s Villa is unclear. Many names have been given to it over the centuries; opinions differ as to whether it served as a library, dining room, or something else entirely. The seven large niches in the apse would have been intended for statues. Near the central niche, the descending staircase into which a figure is seen disappearing no longer exists (because of later alterations). As in so many of Piranesi’s etchings, the minuscule scale of the human figures, coupled with their physical awkwardness or unease, intensifies the awesome power of the architectural ruins.