Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae: Composite of Corinthian and Ionic
ca. 1537
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
Sheet: 7 3/16 x 5 7/16 in. (18.2 x 13.8 cm) Mount: 10 5/8 x 6 15/16 in. (27 x 17.6 cm)
Classification
Prints|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1941
Accession Number
41.72(2.24)
Tags
Art Historical Context
This engraving, created around 1537 by the artist known as Monogrammist G.A. with the Caltrop, belongs to the renowned series *Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae* (Mirror of Roman Magnificence). It depicts a composite capital that merges the ornate acanthus leaves of the Corinthian order with the elegant volutes of the Ionic, showcasing the inventive spirit of Renaissance architects who reinterpreted ancient Roman forms. As an engraving, the work highlights the precision and detail possible in printmaking, allowing intricate architectural motifs to be widely circulated among artists, scholars, an...
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...