Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae: Sepulchre of Augustus
Medium
Engraving and etching; first state of two (Robert-Dumesnil)
Dimensions
sheet: 17 11/16 x 14 3/8 in. (45 x 36.5 cm) mount: 22 1/8 x 16 13/16 in. (56.2 x 42.7 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(1.31)
Tags
Art Historical Context
This striking engraving and etching from 1575 captures the Mausoleum of Augustus, the grand tomb built by Rome’s first emperor in the 1st century BCE. Created by Etienne DuPérac and published by Antonio Lafreri, the print belongs to the celebrated series *Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae* (“Mirror of Roman Magnificence”), a collection that brought the city’s ancient wonders to a wide European audience during the Renaissance. At a time when renewed fascination with classical antiquity shaped art and scholarship, such prints served as both souvenirs for visitors to Rome and study aids for archit...
About the Artist
Antonio Lafreri|Etienne DuPérac · 1507–1577
Antonio Lafreri, born Antoine du Pérac Lafréry around 1512 in Orgelet in the County of Burgundy (modern-day France), emerged as one of the most influential print publishers of the 16th century after settling in Rome around 1540. His early life and training remain sparsely documented, with no records of specific teachers or art schools; he arrived in the Eternal City as an engraver, producing works...