The Prima Macchina for the Chinea of 1757: The Colonnade of the Athenian Lyceum
Medium
etching on laid paper
Dimensions
plate: 36.2 x 51.6 cm (14 1/4 x 20 5/16 in.) sheet: 45.4 x 64.2 cm (17 7/8 x 25 1/4 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
William B. O'Neal Fund
Accession Number
1997.111.2
Art Historical Context
Step into the grandeur of 18th-century with *The Prima Macchina for theinea of 1757: The Colonnade of Athenian Lyceum*, exquisite etching by Giuseppe Pozzi designs by Giuseppe Palazzi and Paolo Posi. Created in 1757, this print captures the first of the elaborate temporary structures—or "macchine"—erected for the annual Chinea festival This lavish Roman tradition, sponsored by the Spanish monarchy, honored the Pope with a gift of a white horse (the *chinea*), accompanied by fireworks, music, and monumental architecture evoking classical antiquity. Here, the colonnade mimics the Athenian Lyceum...