Ruins of a Basilica (?) from the series 'Ruinarum variarum fabricarum delineationes pictoribus caeterisque id genus artificibus multum utiles'
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Plate: 7 11/16 x 6 in. (19.6 x 15.2 cm)
Classification
Books|Prints|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1948
Accession Number
48.13.4(75)
Tags
About this artwork
This etching presents the ruins of a basilica, from the 1554 series "Ruinarum variarum fabricarum delineationes pictoribus caeterisque id genus artificibus multum utiles." The print depicts the fragmentary remains of a large rectangular building, showing broken walls, standing columns, and architectural details set within a landscape context. The composition balances archaeological accuracy with artistic interpretation, characteristic of Renaissance architectural prints. Published by Gerard de J...
Art Historical Context
This etching, titled *Ruins of a Basilica**, captures the evocative remnants of an ancient rectangular structure—broken walls, sturdy columns, and intricate details nestled in a sprawling landscape. Created in 1554 as part of the series *Ruinarum vari fabricarum delineationes pictibus caeterisque id artificibus multum utiles ("Depictions of Various Ruins Useful to Painters and Other Artists of That Kind"), it was published by Antwerp printmaker Gerard de Jode designs by Lambert Suavius. One of seventeen plates, it blends precise archaeological observation with imaginative flair, drawing from b...