Section of the dome and St. Peter's Basilica

Etching and engraving, signed on the left side: "MICHAEL ANGELVS BONAROTA INVENIT STEPHANVS DV PERAC FECIT".

Example of the first state of four, before the address of Claudio Duchetti. Further printing issues by Giovanni Orlandi and Hendrick van Schoel are well known. Work part of the "Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae", described in the catalog Lafreri at number 198, as "Ortografia della parte di dentro del detto tempio di Mich. Ang.".

Inscribed at the top, left and right: "ORTHOGRAPHIA PARTIS INTERIORIS TEMPLI DIVI PETRI IN VATICANO" [Orthography of the inner part of the temple of St. Peter in the Vatican].
Inscribed below the measurement scale: "Canne 10".

The print shows the interior of the dome as it appears in the model preserved at the Fabbrica di San Pietro in Vaticano. The basilica is drawn on the side because there are no drawings by Michelangelo for the facade. The two smaller domes have a typical Vignola trait but in reality they substantially resume the design of Anonymous St. Peter's, section and front elevation of about 1564, preserved in Naples, Biblioteca Nazionale, (Ms. XII, D.74, fol.22v). According to Federico Bellini "The lanterns are almost certainly Ligorio's, who at least until November 1565 had the fate of the factory in his hands, and were inspired - with great constructive prudence - by the Borgia tower erected by Bramante. It remains, among other things, very doubtful that Michelangelo had even foreseen them". In turn Frommel observes that "Dupérac represents Michelangelo's dome but adds the secondary domes designed by Vignola. If the front of the temple represented in the engravings is authentic, Michelangelo would have sacrificed the Pauline Chapel and the Sala Regia and could have connected the palace only with the rear parts of the basilica" (cf. Marigliani, VIII.12).

This print comes from the “Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae” (The Mirror of Roman Magnificence). The Speculum found its origin in the publishing endeavors of Antonio Salamanca and Antonio Lafreri. During their Roman publishing careers, the two foreign publishers - who worked together between 1553 and 1563 - initiated the production of prints recording art works, architecture and city views related to Antique and Modern Rome. The prints could be bought individually by tourists and collectors, but were also purchased in larger groups which were often bound together in an album. In 1573, Lafreri commissioned a title page for this purpose, which is where the title ‘Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae’ first appears. Lafreri envisioned an ideal arrangement of the prints in 7 different categories, but during his lifetime, never appears to have offered one standard, bound set of prints. Instead, clients composed their own selection from the corpus to be bound, or collected a group of prints over time. When Lafreri died, two-third of the existing copper plates went to the Duchetti family (Claudio and Stefano), while another third was distributed among several publishers. The Duchetti appear to have standardized production, offering a more or less uniform version of the Speculum to their clients. The popularity of the prints also inspired other publishers in Rome to make copies however, and to add new prints to the corpus.

Magnificent proof, rich of tones, printed on contemporary laid paper with watermark "wolf holding a coat of arms in a circle with crown" (Woodward n. 223), with original margins added, in excellent state of preservation.

Bibliografia
B. Rubach, Ant. Lafreri Formis Romae (2016), n. 367, I/IV; A. Alberti, L’indice di Antonio Lafrery (2010), n. A146; Marigliani, Lo splendore di Roma nell’Arte incisoria del Cinquecento (2016), n. VIII.12; C. Hülsen, 1921, p. 161, 94, B; J. S. Ackerman, 1968, p. 86; G. C. Argan - B. Contardi, 1990, p. 275; R. Lanciani, 1992, IV, p. 189; H. A. Millon - C. H. Smyth, 1994, pp. 663-64; F. Bellini, 2001, pp. 74-84; W. Lotz, 2004, p. 99; C. Marigliani, 2005, p. 109; C. Witcombe, 2008, pp. 328-29; A. Brodini, 2009, T. 75; M. Mussolin, 2009, p. 299; B. Barnes, 2010, p. 135; C. L. Frommel, 2011, p. 322.