Mercurii Templum, from a Series of 24 Depicting (Reconstructed) Buildings from Roman Antiquity

Mercurii Templum, from a Series of 24 Depicting (Reconstructed) Buildings from Roman Antiquity

Anonymous, Italian, 16th century

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Perspectival depiction of the right half of a temple, referred to as the ‘Mercurii Templum’, set in a stylized landscape. Curiously, the building does not appear to have an entrance, but both the central and right bay are marked by an aedicula, indicating that it might have functioned as an altar. A temple of Mercury is referenced in Medieval descriptions of Rome, although the precise location nor remains have been uncovered so far. The current rendition is likely based on descriptions as is the case for various other prints in the same group. 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 'Sepulchrum Adriani'.

Drawings and Prints

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Mercurii Templum, from a Series of 24 Depicting (Reconstructed) Buildings from Roman AntiquityMercurii Templum, from a Series of 24 Depicting (Reconstructed) Buildings from Roman AntiquityMercurii Templum, from a Series of 24 Depicting (Reconstructed) Buildings from Roman AntiquityMercurii Templum, from a Series of 24 Depicting (Reconstructed) Buildings from Roman AntiquityMercurii Templum, from a Series of 24 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.