Speculum Romanae - Marforio

Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae - Marforio

The marble sculpture of a river god known as Marforio that was at the Roman Forum until 1588, an elegantly dressed figure seated at the left observing and drawing the sculpture; various antiquities in the background.

Engraving by anonymous.

Date; 1550-1600

Poem within image in 17 lines 'Quest'è di Roma un nobile cittadino.../...et ha nome Marfuori'.

This is a copy of the plate by Duchetti, which in turn derives from the earlier plate published by Lafrery, for

Bibliography
Huelsen 1921 70.h (variant version)
Same print in BM 1869,0410.2154

With the publishers address of Giacomo de Rossi.

'G.GR.Fo' bottom right.
Giacomo Granthomme (?) = Jacques Granthomme (1588-1622)
publisher/printer; printmaker; Flemish; French; active, first in Paris, last in Heidelberg but also in Siena in 1594.

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 In 1540 Antonio Lafreri, a native of Besançon transplanted to Rome, began publishing maps and other printed images that depicted major monuments and antiquities in Rome. These images were calculated to appeal to the taste for classical antiquity that fueled the cultural event we call the Renaissance. After Lafreri published a title page in the mid-1570s, collections of these prints came to be known as the Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae, the "Mirror of Roman Magnificence." Tourists and other collectors who bought prints from Lafreri made their own selections and had them individually bound. Over time, Lafreri's title page served as starting point for large and eclectic compilations, expanded and rearranged by generations of collectors.