Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae. Statue of the River God Tiber.

Image is not available

Maker

(publisher)
1512-1577
(engraver)
born 1507 or 1515, died ca. 1565 (Life dates)

Title

Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae. Statue of the River God Tiber.

Date of Production

1544 - 1577

Medium

medium : material : ink & support : material : paper

Dimensions

Height: 30.4 cm
Width: 55 cm

Object Number

B.1978.PG.102.69

Mode of Acquisition

Count Antoine Seilern, bequest, 1978

Credit

Courtauld Gallery, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)

Location

Not currently on display

Label Text

The Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae (‘Mirror of Roman Magnificence’), one of the most celebrated print collections of the Renaissance, is unique in that no two known examples are alike. Antoine Lafréry, a French publisher based in Rome, kept a large stock of prints depicting Roman antiquities, sculptures and contemporary architecture, from which clients could make a selection according to their individual interests. The volume was then bound with a standard frontispiece.

Inscriptions

Inscription: 84

Inscription: VETERVM MONUMENTORVM STUDIOSE LECTOR QVM EXCELLENS ANTIQVOR SCVLPTORVM EX HAC . / TABELLA INGENIVM LAVDAVERIS NATVRAE DEINCEPS MIRACVLA QVAE IN EA EXCVSA VISVNTVR CON . / TEMPLARE NILI AEGYPTII AMNIS TOTIUS ORBIS MAXIMI HEIC TIBEI SIMVLACHRVM PROPONIT VR / QVOIUS SINGVLA AD XVI CVBITORVM INCREMENTA TOTIDEM PVERI INDICANT ANIMAL QVO . /NILI IMAGO NITITVR ORE VIRGINIS RELIQVO CORPORE LEONIS IVLIVM ATQVE AVGVSTVM QVE / IS CRESCIT DECRESCITQVE DESIGNAT QVOD PER ILLOS MENSEIS SOL EA SIGNA TENERE INCIPI / AT FRVCTVVM ET FLORVM ABVNDANTIAM CORNVCOPIAE DEMONSTRAT ADSVNT ANI. / MALLA FLVMINI TERRAE Q. PROPRIA ET PROPE RIPAS ADNASCENTIA VIRGVLTA SE / RAPIS BOVIS ISIS VACCAE FORMA CROCODILVS HIPPOPOTAMVS IBIS TROCHILVS / EXIGVVS Q. SCINCOS PRAECIPVVS CROCODILO HOSTIS AGILES DEMVM HO. / MVNCVLI TENTYRITAE NILI ACCOLAE HEI SVNT QVOS LINTRI. / BVS VEHI VIDES DEFORMES AC STATVRA PARVI VERVM / ANIMI PRAESENTIA MAGNI QVEIS SOLIS ET VI ET AS. / TV IMMANEIS FLVVI BELVAS DOMARE EST A NA. / TVRA CONCESSVM HERBAE VERO SECVN. / DVM RIPAS NASCENTES COLOCASSIA / PAPIRVS AEGYPTIA Q. CALAMVS / SVNT HAEC OMNIA TIBI / ANT. LAFRERI AENEA TABVLA / NVNC PROPERT EX ANTIQVO / SIMVLACHRO QVOD IN VA. / TICANO ADHVC CON. / SPICITUR EXACTE/ EFFIGIATA

Provenance

Information not yet known or updated

Literature

Zorach, Rebecca, The Virtual Tourist in Renaissance Rome: printing and collecting the Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae, Chicago 2008
Parshall, Peter, 'Antonio Lafreri's Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae' in 'Print Quarterly', 2006 - pp. 3-28; XXIII (I)
Huelsen, Christian, 'Das Speculum Magnificentiae des Antonio Lafreri' in Collectanea Variae Doctrinae, Florence 1921 - pp.121-170
cat.61.A (1)
Fig. p. 155

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