Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae: Sepulchre of Metella
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
sheet: 19 3/16 x 13 3/16 in. (48.7 x 33.5 cm) plate: 15 15/16 x 12 3/16 in. (40.5 x 31 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(1.50)
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the grandeur of ancient Rome through this exquisite 1549 engraving, *Speculum Romanae Magniae: Sepulchre of Metella*, part of Antonio Lafreri's renowned series. Often called the "Mirror of Romanificence," the *Speculum* was a celebrated 16th-century collection of 500 images depicting Rome's ancient monuments, ruins, and tombs. This detailed plate captures the imposing Tomb of Caecilia Metella on the Appian Way—a drum-shaped mausoleum from the 1st century BCE, adorned with reliefs of trophy weapons, symbolizing Roman power and eternity. Lafreri, a savvy publisher in Renaissance Rome,...
About the Artist
Antonio Lafreri|Anonymous · 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...