Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae: Alberini Palace
late 16th century
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
sheet: 12 3/16 x 18 5/16 in. (31 x 46.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1941
Accession Number
41.72(3.62)
Tags
About this artwork
This late 16th-century engraving of the Alberini Palace forms part of the "Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae" (Mirror of Roman Magnificence), one of the most ambitious print publishing ventures of the Renaissance. Initiated by Antonio Lafreri and continued by publishers including Claudio Duchetti, this series assembled hundreds of engravings depicting ancient Roman ruins, Renaissance buildings, maps, and archaeological discoveries. Collectors could purchase individual prints or assemble complete v...
About the Artist
Anonymous|Claudio Duchetti
In the vast tapestry of art history, "Anonymous" stands not as a singular individual but as a collective designation for countless unidentified creators whose works have endured across millennia. These artists, spanning prehistoric cave painters to medieval illuminators and folk craftsmen, produced the foundational layers of human visual culture. Prior to the Renaissance, when individual fame emer...