San Pietro

Etching and engraving, by Etienne Duperac for the publisher Antonio Lafreri and part of the "Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae".

Example in the first state of three, before the address of Paolo Graziani and Pietro de Nobili (first of two for Rubach, which does not describe the issue by Paolo Graziani alone, which shows the date 1582, known to Alberti).

Top title "ORTHOGRAPHIA. PARTIS. EXTERIORIS TEMPLES. DIVI. PETERS IN. VATICAN // MI-CHAEL. ANGELVS. BONAROTA. INVENIT // STEPHANVS. DV PERAC. FECIT".

The engraving is part of a series of three works on the new Vatican basilica: the Plan of St. Peter (the first to be made), the Section of St. Peter, and the External Prospectus of St. Peter. In 1546, on the death of Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, Michelangelo replaced him in the direction of the St. Peter's factory, abandoning Sangallo's project and revisiting Bramante's original idea. "In the print the drum of the dome is depicted following the model and the building as it was built, except for the fact that it has alternating tympanums above the windows - unlike the model, but as in the building - and a triangular tympanum on the axis instead of an arched circle. Like the section, it has above the buttresses of the statues that do not appear either in the model or in the building". The lantern was made, at the end of the sixteenth century, in a manner different from that represented in the engraving. Moreover, the elevation of the curve of the dome, at Michelangelo's death, and after the interventions of Pirro Ligorio and Vignola, was modified by Giacomo Della Porta, even if the original setting of Michelangelo was substantially respected. Ackerman observes that "in the final solution preserved by Dupérac the lantern rested on a high plinth in order to compensate for the lowering of the dome and to ensure that the total height of the basilica remained approximately equal to that of the first studies: moreover, with the reduction in width of the ribs towards the top, the original appearance of the raised profile would have been preserved due to the effect of perspective. It is to be considered finally that "the statues standing and then at the top of the buttress that flanks the dome do not exist in the model and do not appear in any other representation. The initial study of Michelangelo's dome preserved in Lille, includes, however, summary indications of sculptures standing in the external attic above the buttresses" (H. A. Millon - C. H. Smith). Ultimately, Du Pérac's prints are made to amaze and satisfy the curiosity of a vast public towards the St. Peter's factory and the artist, to this end, carries out an assembly operation between what has been built and existing projects. (cf. Marigliani, n. VIII.11).

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 in tones, printed on contemporary laid paper with watermark "shield with letter M and star", with margins, minimal restorations at the upper margin and on the milestone scale, otherwise in excellent condition.

The work is described by Lafreri’s catalogue (n. 269) as “Ortografia della parte di fuori del tempio di Mich. Ang.”.


Bibliografia
B. Rubach, Ant. Lafreri Formis Romae (2016), n. 366, I/II; A. Alberti, L’indice di Antonio Lafrery (2010), n. 101, I/III; cfr. Marigliani, Lo splendore di Roma nell’Arte incisoria del Cinquecento (2016), n. VIII.11;
C. Hülsen, 1921, p. 161, 93, B; J. S. Ackerman, 1968, p. 86; R. Lanciani, 1992, iv, p. 189; H. A. Millon - C. H. Smyth, 1994, pp. 663-64; C. Marigliani, 2005, p. 109; B. Jatta, 2006, Tav. iv; C. Witcombe, 2008, pp. 328, 331; A. Brodini, 2009, p. 108; V. Zanchettin, 2009, pp. 180-85; B. Barnes, 2010, p. 135; Bianchi 2006, p. 55, tav. 83.