Arch of Septimius Severus, entablature, elevation; attic, base, elevation (recto) Arch of Septimius Severus, archivolt, elevation; impost, elevation; entablature, elevation; column base, elevation; column, plan (verso)
early to mid-16th century
Medium
Dark brown ink, black chalk, and incised lines
Dimensions
sheet: 16 15/16 x 12 5/8 in. (43 x 32 cm)
Classification
Drawings|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Rogers Fund, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, and Mark J. Millard Gift, 1968
Accession Number
68.769.11
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite 16th-century drawing, created anonymously by a French artist, captures intricate details of the ancient Roman of Septimius Severus Rome. On the recto, it presents elevations of the entablature attic base, while the features elevations of the archivolt, impost, entablature column base, and a column plan. Rendered in dark brown ink, black chalk and incised lines on generous sheet measuring 16 15/16 x 12 5/8 inches, this work exemplifies Renaissance draftsmen's passion for precisely documenting classical architecture. Dating to the early to mid-1500s, the drawing reflects the era'...