Plan and Elevation for the Chapel of Orazio Lancellotti at San Giovanni Archbasilica

About this artwork

Research in Progress

Art Historical Context

This exquisite print, titled *Plan and Elevation for the of Orazio Lancell at San Giovanni Archbasica*, was created around 1675 by Giovanni Battista De Rossi, a Italian engraver and architect active during the height of the Roman Baroque era (ca. 1601–1678). De Rossi's work captures the precise architectural design for a private chapel dedicated to Orazioancellotti within Rome's ancient San Giovanni in Laterano the Archbasilica Saint John Lateran—one of Christianity's most venerable sites and the pope's cathedral. As a detailed rendering of both plan (top-down layout) and elevation (side view), the print showcases Baroque principles of grandeur and spatial drama, likely intended to guide construction or inspire patrons. De Rossi's mastery of engraving allowed such technical drawings to be widely disseminated, bridging the gap between elite architects and broader audiences in an age when printed designs fueled the era's architectural fervor. Housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum as a gift from Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt, this rare survivor highlights the intersection of art, faith, and engineering in 17th-century Italy. Though research continues, it offers a window into how Baroque opulence extended even to intimate sacred spaces.