Theater in Saint Peter's Basilica for the Canonization of Gaetano Thiene and Francis Borgia on April 12, 1671
Medium
Etching; second state of two
Dimensions
Sheet (Trimmed): 14 1/8 × 19 5/8 in. (35.9 × 49.9 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1967
Accession Number
51.501.2877
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
This intricate etching captures the vast interior of Saint Peter’s Basilica transformed into a grand ceremonial theater. From a high vantage point, the viewer sees a central canopied stage flanked by ornate columns and temporary architectural screens, with tiers of seating filled by crowds of onlookers. In the foreground, rows of robed figures process across the floor, while the basilica’s coffered dome and sculpted niches rise above, all rendered in fine, precise lines that convey both architectural detail and the scale of the assembly. Created by Giovanni Battista Falda and published by Giovanni Giacomo De Rossi in 1671, the print records the canonization of Gaetano Thiene and Francis Borgia on April 12 of that year. As an etching in its second state, it served both as a visual souvenir and a historical document, preserving the temporary decorations and spatial arrangements designed for this solemn occasion. Such works helped spread news of papal ceremonies across Europe, highlighting the Baroque era’s fusion of faith, spectacle, and artistic skill.
About the Artist
Giovanni Battista Falda|Giovanni Giacomo De Rossi · 1640–1678
Italian architectural engraver. Comment on works: Draughtsman; Engraver