Half-Section of the Model of the Attic and Dome of Saint Peter's Basilica as Conceived by Michelangelo (recto); Detail Studies Relating to the Plan, Section, and Elevation of the Dome of Saint Peter's Basilica (verso).
1551, 1558–69
Medium
Pen and brown ink, over leadpoint or black chalk.
Dimensions
sheet: 11 3/4 x 17 5/16 in. (29.8 x 44 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Janos Scholz and Anne Bigelow Scholz, in memory of Flying Officer Walter Bigelow Rosen, RCAF, 1949
Accession Number
49.92.92 (Mich pal)
About this artwork
Étienne Dupérac (c. 1535-1604), a French artist working in Renaissance Rome, created this crucial architectural drawing documenting Michelangelo's design for the dome and attic of Saint Peter's Basilica. Executed between 1551 and 1569 in pen and brown ink over leadpoint or black chalk, this sheet presents both a half-section of the dome model on the recto and detailed plan, section, and elevation studies on the verso. Published in 1569, five years after Michelangelo's death, Dupérac's engravings...
Art Historical Context
Étienne Dupérac, a French artist active in Renaissance Rome, created this detailed architectural drawing to record Michelangelo’s visionary design for the dome and attic of Saint Peter’s Basilica. Working in pen and brown over leadpoint or black chalk, Dupérac produced both a half-section view of the dome model on the recto and precise plan, section, and elevation studies on the verso. Created between 1551 and 1569, the sheet captures the revolutionary double-shell construction and harmonious proportions that defined one of the Renaissance’s greatest architectural achievements. These drawings...
About the Artist
Etienne DuPérac · 1535–1604
Comment on works: architect; painter