Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae: Composite capital
Monogrammist G.A. & the Caltrop
16th century
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
sheet: 4 5/8 x 5 1/2 in. (11.8 x 14 cm) mount: 9 3/16 x 8 1/16 in. (23.3 x 20.5 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(2.25)
Tags
Capitals
About the Artist
Monogrammist G.A. & the Caltrop · 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...