Ruin of a round Temple [Templum Idor Egito], from the series 'Ruinarum variarum fabricarum delineationes pictoribus caeterisque id genus artificibus multum utiles'

About this artwork

This etching presents a perspectival cross-section of a round temple, identified as the Templum Idor Egito, from the 1554 series "Ruinarum variarum fabricarum delineationes." The print depicts a circular building with a central round nave of three stories surrounded by an ambulatory reaching to the second floor, both characterized by arches open to the exterior and crowned by an oculus. The architectural rendering combines measured precision with imaginative reconstruction, typical of Renaissanc...

Art Historical Context

Step into the Renaissance fascination with ancient wonders through this intricate 1554 etching, *Ruin of a Round [Templum Idorito]*, from the series *inarum variarum fabric delineationes*. Created by the enigmatic Monogrammist G. with the Calt and Lambert Suavius and published by Gerard de Jode, it a precise perspectival cross-section of a temple ruin. Imagine a three-story central nave encircled by an ambulatory up to the second level, open arches inviting light and crowned by a dramatic oculus—blending meticulous measurement with imaginative revival of classical forms. This print exemplifie...

About the Artist

Monogrammist G.A. & the Caltrop|Lambert Suavius|Gerard de Jode · 1535–1535

**Monogrammist G.A. with the Caltrop**, an enigmatic Italian engraver active in Rome during the 1530s and 1540s, remains one of the shadowy figures of the Renaissance print world. Identified solely by his monogram "G.A." accompanied by a distinctive caltrop symbol—a spiked iron ball used in warfare—little is known of his personal life or training. His early years are not well documented, and no te...