Deposito di monsignor Agostino Favoriti nella basilica di S. Maria Maggiore eretto di ordine del vescovo e principe di munster Ferdinando di Fustembergh

About this artwork

Graftombe van Agostino Favorito in de S. Maria Maggiore in Rome. Titel in ondermarge. Genummerd rechtsonder: 48.

Art Historical Context

Welcome to our virtual gallery, where we explore the intricate world of 17th-century Roman printmaking. This striking etching, titled *Deposito di monsignor Agostino Favor nella basilica di S Maria Maggiore eretto di del vescovo e principe munster Ferdinando diustembergh*, was created by Pietro Santeoli between 1645 and 1700. Measuring an impressive 513 × mm, it faithfully depicts the grand tomb (or *graftombe*) of Monsignorino Favoriti in Rome's Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore—one of the city's four major papal basilicas, renowned for its ancient mosaics and Renaissance treasures. Commissioned by Ferdinando di Fustembergh, the Bishop and Prince of Münster, the monument exemplifies Baroque-era patronage bridging Italian artistry with northern European influence. Bartoli, a masterful Roman engraver active in the vibrant papal art scene, used etching—a technique where acid etches intricate lines into a metal plate—to capture the tomb's architectural drama and ornate details with remarkable precision. Numbered "48" in the lower right and titled below, this print likely belongs to a series documenting Rome's ecclesiastical wonders, making sacred architecture accessible beyond the Eternal City. Through Bartoli's skilled hand, visitors today can appreciate how such works preserved cultural memory, blending devotion, power, and artistry in the heart of Counter-Reformation Rome. A true window into 17th-century grandeur!

About the Artist

Pietro Sante Bartoli · 1615–1700

Pietro Santi Bartoli, born in Perugia in 1635, emerged as a pivotal figure in the Roman antiquarian revival of the late seventeenth century. Relocating to Rome as a youth, he initially pursued painting, studying under the French artist Jean Lemaire—known as "Le Petit Lemaire"—and later under the esteemed Nicolas Poussin, whose classical rigor profoundly shaped his early approach. Though traces of ...