Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae. Statue of Mithras.

Image is not available

Maker

(publisher)
1512-1577

Title

Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae. Statue of Mithras.

Date of Production

1564

Medium

medium : material : ink & support : material : paper

Dimensions

Height: 41.3 cm
Width: 26.4 cm

Object Number

B.1978.PG.102.74

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: 89

Inscription: Hac uetusta marmorea tabula, quae Romae in aedibus Octaviani Zeno prope theatrum Pompeii I campum Florae extat, hisce signis ornata, ueteres /rerum naturalium periti optimi agricolae munus significare uolerunt. Qui assiduo labore, die noctuque, tribus solis, quattuor lunae stationibus, et / naturali utrusque sideris cursu obseruatis, fortitudine, prouidentia, fide, et diligentia, terram fatigando rem agranam tractat et proinde / carum frugum quae lucis I tenebrarum tempore creantur, oriuntur, excolunturque uberrimum pioventum fert.

Inscription: Antonij Lafrerij Sequani formeis Anno. DLxiiij

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.66.A (1)
Fig. p. 156

Information on this object may be incomplete and will be updated as research progresses. We are particularly committed to addressing any discriminatory or offensive language and ideas that may be present in our records.
We are also constantly working to digitise the collection and improve the quality of our digital resources; images will be added/updated as new photography becomes available.
To help improve this record and to enquire about images of the Courtauld Gallery Collection, please email gallery.collectionsonline@courtauld.ac.uk

Find out more about using and licensing our images.

____________________________

Buy a print from our collection