Arcus in Hispania, from a Series of Prints depicting (reconstructed) Buildings from Roman Antiquity

Arcus in Hispania, from a Series of Prints depicting (reconstructed) Buildings from Roman Antiquity

Monogrammist G.A. & the Caltrop

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Perspectival depiction of the right half of a triumphal arch, referred to as the ‘Arcus in Hispania’ set in a stylized landscape. The arch appears to be placed on a stepped podium and is stripped from all its ornaments and relief decorations, aside from the Ionic or Composite pillars that support the protruding piers flanking the central arches, a small frieze of guttae in the entablature below the attica, and a vase crowing the attica. While the proportions are incorrect and the building does not, or no longer has an attica, the overall composition of the arch most resembles Hadrian’s Gate in modern-day Tunisia. The print is part of a group of architectural prints depicting buildings from Roman Antiquity, ranging from triumphal arches to bath houses, temples and palaces in Italy, France and Spain. Some of the buildings have been artificially reconstructed based on Medieval descriptions, while others are depicted in their ruinous states. The plates are known in several (uncatalogued) states, and have undergone minor changes over time. Several titles of buildings have been changed, and the plates have been cropped as a result of plate cracks and oxidation. Most copper plates for this series have been engraved on both sides. This print is taken from the same plate as the 'Porta Antonae'. This group of prints was purchased as part of an an album in 1926, but taken apart by the Museum in 1934. The album appears to have been compiled in the 17th century, although the majority of prints date from the 16th century. The larger part of the prints is focused on mythological subjects and objects and architecture from Antiquity. The album was part of the collection of the architect Hippolyte Destailleur and was sold in the sale of his books and prints in 1895. The Museum acquired the album at G. Rapilly & Fils in 1926. Where the album had been kept in the mean time is unclear and several prints were taken out in this period. The museum's numbering does not reflect the order of the original album, but Destailleur's numbering system is retained on the inidividual sheets, allowing for the reconstruction of its original content.

Drawings and Prints

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Arcus in Hispania, from a Series of Prints depicting (reconstructed) Buildings from Roman AntiquityArcus in Hispania, from a Series of Prints depicting (reconstructed) Buildings from Roman AntiquityArcus in Hispania, from a Series of Prints depicting (reconstructed) Buildings from Roman AntiquityArcus in Hispania, from a Series of Prints depicting (reconstructed) Buildings from Roman AntiquityArcus in Hispania, from a Series of Prints depicting (reconstructed) Buildings from Roman Antiquity

The Department’s vast collection of works on paper comprises approximately 21,000 drawings, 1.2 million prints, and 12,000 illustrated books created in Europe and the Americas from about 1400 to the present day. Since its foundation in 1916, the Department has been committed to collecting a wide range of works on paper, which includes both pieces that are incredibly rare and lauded for their aesthetic appeal, as well as material that is more popular, functional, and ephemeral. The broad scope of the department’s collecting encourages questions of connoisseurship as well as those pertaining to function and context, and demonstrates the vital role that prints, drawings, and illustrated books have played throughout history.