Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae. Bifolio print of the Pantheon from the front with ancient sculptures in the foreground.
Copyright
Work in the public domain
Maker
(publisher)
1512-1577
1512-1577
(printmaker)
born 1507 or 1515, died ca. 1565 (Life dates)
born 1507 or 1515, died ca. 1565 (Life dates)
Title
Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae. Bifolio print of the Pantheon from the front with ancient sculptures in the foreground.
Date of Production
1549
Medium
medium : material : ink & support : material : paper
Dimensions
Height: 39.1 cm
Width: 46.6 cm
Width: 46.6 cm
Object Number
B.1978.PG.102.7
Mode of Acquisition
Count Antoine Seilern, bequest, 1978
Credit
Courtauld Gallery, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)
Location
Not currently on display
Keywords
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
Print version: PANTHEVM ROMAN NVNC MARIAE COGNOMENTO ROTVNDAE NOTVM AD ANTIQVAM SVAM EFFIGIEM ET FORMAN EXPRESSVM
Inscription: M(ARCVS) AGRIPPA L(VCII) F(ILIVS) CO(N)S(VL) TERITVM FECIT.
Inscription: Labrum ex porphyrite, et duos ex ophite Leones Aegyptiis notis illistres, ex prosximis ut opinor Agrippae ac Neronis thermis, in celebriorem et ampliorem locum, pii Pontifices Maximi, ne situ squalloreve iacerent, propter Pantheum erigi collocarique iusserunt.
Inscription: ANT LAFRERI / ROMAE 1549
Inscription: 10
Inscription: 11
PANTHEVM ROMAN NVNC MARIAE COGNOMENTO ROTVNDAE NOTVM AD ANTIQVAM SVAM EFFIGIEM ET FORMAN EXPRESSVM
Inscription: M(ARCVS) AGRIPPA L(VCII) F(ILIVS) CO(N)S(VL) TERITVM FECIT.
Inscription: Labrum ex porphyrite, et duos ex ophite Leones Aegyptiis notis illistres, ex prosximis ut opinor Agrippae ac Neronis thermis, in celebriorem et ampliorem locum, pii Pontifices Maximi, ne situ squalloreve iacerent, propter Pantheum erigi collocarique iusserunt.
Inscription: ANT LAFRERI / ROMAE 1549
Inscription: 10
Inscription: 11
PANTHEVM ROMAN NVNC MARIAE COGNOMENTO ROTVNDAE NOTVM AD ANTIQVAM SVAM EFFIGIEM ET FORMAN EXPRESSVM
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.5.A
Fig. p. 143
cat.5.A
Fig. p. 143
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