Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae: Grotesque Winding Column in St. Peter's
16th century
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
sheet: 16 3/8 x 4 1/8 in. (41.6 x 10.4 cm) mount: 16 3/4 x 4 5/16 in. (42.5 x 11 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(1.108)
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
About this artwork
This engraving depicts a grotesque winding column from St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, part of the "Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae" series published in the 16th century. The print shows one of the ornately decorated spiral columns from the old St. Peter's, rendered with careful attention to the intricate relief carving covering its surface. The column displays the elaborate decorative vocabulary of ancient Roman architecture, featuring foliate scrollwork, figures, and ornamental details. Nicolas ...
About the Artist
Nicolas Beatrizet · 1515–1566
Nicolas Beatrizet, born around 1515 in Lunéville, Lorraine (then part of the Holy Roman Empire), emerged as one of the most prolific French engravers of the 16th century. Little is known about his early life and training, with no records of specific teachers or apprenticeships, though regional influences from German and Italian printmaking likely shaped his skills before he arrived in Rome around ...