Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae: Portico of the Temple of Julius
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
sheet: 18 7/8 x 13 1/8 in. (48 x 33.4 cm) plate: 11 9/16 x 8 1/4 in. (29.3 x 21 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(1.37)
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the grandeur of ancient Rome through this exquisite 16th-century engraving, *Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae:ico of the Temple of*. Created around 1550 by an artist under the guidance of publisher Antonio Lafreri, captures the majestic portico of the Temple Divus Julius in the Forum—a monument honoring Julius Caesar, erected by Augustus in 29 BCE. Part of Lafreri's renowned *Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae* ("Mirror of Roman Magnificence"), a celebrated collection of over 500 prints, this image showcases towering columns and intricate architectural details, evoking the splendor of im...
About the Artist
Anonymous|Antonio Lafreri
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...