Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae: Plan of St. Peter's
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
sheet: 18 11/16 x 15 15/16 in. (47.4 x 40.5 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(3.30)
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the grandeur of Renaissance Rome with *Speculum Romanae Magniae: Plan of St.* (1569), an engraving by French artist Étienne Du Pérac and publisher Claudiochetti. Part of the celebrated *Speculum Romanaeificentiae*—a vast anthology of over 800 prints compiled by Antwerp publisher Antoine Lafréry—this work captures a detailed bird's-eye view of St. Peter's Basilica its transformative reconstruction. Measuring nearly 19 by 16 inches, the sheet showcases the basilica's evolving footprint amid Vatican surroundings, blending ancient reverence with modern ambition. Created amid the Catholi...
About the Artist
Etienne DuPérac|Claudio Duchetti · 1535–1604
Comment on works: architect; painter