Pantheon

Engraving, 1548, signed in plate at bottom left - only on his first state - "N×B×LOTARINGVS × F×".

Example in the third state of five – according to Alessia Alberti, third of four for Bianchi and Rubach. The lower part of the plate is cut, a second plate about 90 mm high is added, with figures; at the bottom center we find the imprint: "ANT LAFRERI ROMAE 1549". At the top are added the clouds, absent in the two previous editions.

The work belong to the Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae of Lafreri, engraved by Nicola Beatrizet called Beatricetto.

Inscribed at the top center the title: "PANTHEVM ROMANVM NVNC MARIAE COGNOMENTO ROTVNDAE NOTVM AD ANTIQVAM SVAM EFFIGIEM ET FORMAM EXPRESSVM". [The Pantheon of Rome, now known with the name of "Maria Rotonda", represented according to its appearance and shape].

Inscription at bottom right: "Labrum ex prophyrite, et duos ex ophite Leones Aegyptijs notis illistres [sic per: illustres], ex proxsimis ut opinor Agrippæ an Neronis thermis, in celebriorem et ampliorem locum, pij Pontifices Maximi ne situ squalloreure iacerent, prope Pantheum erigi collocarique iusserunt" [Tub of porphyryite and two lions of ophite, illustrious for the Egyptian inscriptions, coming - I believe- from the nearby baths of Agrippa and Nero: so that they would not lie in a squalid place, the pious Massimi Pontiffs had them placed and erected near the Pantheon, in a wider and more worthy place].

Wanted by Consul Marco Vipsanio Agrippa, son-in-law of Octavian Augustus, the Pantheon was restored and rebuilt several times. The dating of the monument is discussed and contemporary studies place it between 27 B.C. and 25 B.C. with successive reconstructions until 125 A.D. The pair of Egyptian lions in the foreground, located in the square in front of the Pantheon since the Middle Ages, are now in the Vatican Museums. In turn, the urn in the center of the print, made of red porphyry from Egypt, is from the imperial age. Complemented by a modern lid, today it is located in front of the monument of Clement XII (1720-1730) at the Corsini Chapel in the church of San Giovanni in Laterano. The porphyry basin on a pedestal, dating back to the time of Leo X (1513-1521), is represented together with the two raised lions in a drawing by Francisco of Holland (1517 ca. - 1594) today preserved at the Escorial (Cod. Escurialensis 28.1.20, fol. 16 v.). In 609 the building was transformed by Pope Boniface IV (608-615) into a Christian temple with the title of S. Maria ad Martyres. Later it became the seat of the Academy of Fine Arts and Letters of the Virtuous at the Pantheon. In the Pantheon are buried Raffaello Sanzio, Taddeo Zuccari, and the Royalty of Italy. (cf. Marigliani, II. 43).

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.

Beautiful proof, rich in tones, printed on contemporary laid paper, trimmed to the platemark. Traces of glue and abrasions on verso, where you can see some peelings of the paper; overall in good condition.

Bibliography:

B. Rubach, Ant. Lafreri Formis Romae (2016), n. 375, I/IV; A. Alberti, L’indice di Antonio Lafrery (2010), n. 100, I/IV; Marigliani, Lo splendore di Roma nell’Arte incisoria del Cinquecento (2016), n. VI.19; C. HÜLSEN, 1921, p. 162, 102, A; G. C. ARGAN, 1990, p. 268; J. GARMS, 1995, II, p. 350; M. BURY, 2001, p. 141; W. LOTZ, 2004, pp. 59-60; C. MARIGLIANI, 2005, p. 44; C. WITCOMBE, 2008, pp. 141, 144; C. L. FROMMEL, 2010, p. 331.