Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae: Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae
ca. 1540–80
Classification
Books
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1941
Accession Number
41.72(1-3)
Tags
About this artwork
This work represents the title page or binding element for the "Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae," the comprehensive album of architectural and artistic prints documenting Rome, published between approximately 1540 and 1580. The title page would have introduced the collection of engravings depicting ancient monuments, modern architecture, city views, and sculpture from Rome. Antonio Lafreri, a French-born publisher active in Rome from around 1540, initiated this ambitious project during his colla...
About the Artist
Antonio Lafreri · 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...