Circle of Etienne Dupérac’s etching, “Hercules Temple at the Forum Boarium”, 1568

Unidentified printmaker, but possibly by, or from the circle of, Etienne Dupérac (aka Stefano Dupeyrac) (c1535–1604)—mindful that Etienne Dupérac executed the title plate for the series in which this plate features.

“Hercules Temple at the Forum Boarium”, 1568, from the series of 173(?) plates, “Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae” (“Mirror of Roman Splendour”), published in Rome by Antoine Lafréry (aka Antonio Lafreri) (1512–1577) (see the title page and the BM’s discussion about the series: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1947-0319-26; see also Peter Parshall’s 2006 article, “Antonio Lafreri's Mirror of Roman Magnificence”, in “Print Quarterly”, vol. 22, London, pp. 3–28).

Etching and engraving with pale plate-tone on fine laid paper with watermark, trimmed with a small margin around the platemark.

Size: (sheet) 42.9 x 24.7 cm; (plate) 42 x 23.9 cm.

Lettered in plate: (left) “Questo e il tempio di Hercole/ minore, nel foro Boario e/ d’ordine corinthio mol/ to ben lauorato et/ bene inteso si” ([transl.] “This is the temple of Hercules minor, in the forum Boarium and of Corinthian order very well honoured and well understood it is”); (centre) “MINORIS^.TEMPLI^.HERCVLIS^.VEL^.VT^.ALIIS^.PLACET^.PORTVMNI^.IN^.FORO/ BOARIO^.GRAPHICA^.DELINEATIO^.ROMAE^.ANNO DLXVIII [/] Cána”; (right) “Cána [/] come se ne uede fin al presente/ bona parte in piedi, et/ nouamente posto in luce l’anno, 1568, in Roma” ([transl.] “as we see up to the present bona part standing, and newly brought to light in the year, 1568, in Rome”).

Huelsen 158 (Christian Huelsen 1921, “Das Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae des Antonio Lafreri”); Ref: Ludwig Bertalot et al, 1921, “Collectanea variae doctrinae Leoni S. Olschki bibliopolae florentino sexagenario”, Monachii, Jacques Rosenthal, p. 169, cat. no. 158.

The Rijksmuseum offers the following description of this print: (transl.) “Front view of the Temple of Hercules (to scale) on the Forum Boarium in Rome. Below is a map of the temple. Text in Latin and Italian on either side of the map” (http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.536484).

Condition: a strong impression with a printer’s crease at upper right toned to be virtually invisible. The sheet is trimmed with a small (approx.5 mm) margin around the platemark. The sheet is in an excellent condition with no tears, holes, abrasions, losses, significant stains or foxing.

I am selling this historically important and beautiful Renaissance period architectural plan and elevation view of the Temple of Hercules Victor in Rome, for the total cost of AU$364 (currently US$250.91/EUR251.54/GBP213.89 at the time of posting this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world, but not (of course) any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries.

If you are interested in purchasing this rare etching, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This print has been sold