Half of an Arch [Arcus Lutii Septimi] from the series 'Ruinarum variarum fabricarum delineationes pictoribus caeterisque id genus artificibus multum utiles'

About this artwork

"Half of an Arch [Arcus Lutii Septimi] from the series 'Ruinarum variarum fabricarum delineationes pictoribus caeterisque id genus artificibus multum utiles'" by Gerard de Jode|Monogrammist G.A. & the Caltrop|Lambert Suavius, created in 1554, is executed in etching. This books|prints|ornament & architecture belongs to the Metropolitan Museum's Drawings and Prints collection. The work measures plate: 4 5/8 x 3 13/16 in. (11.8 x 9.7 cm). The artwork entered the museum's collection through the elis...

Art Historical Context

This delicate etching from 1554 captures half of a classical Roman arch, identified as the Arcus Lut Septimi, rendered with precise architectural detail. Created by Gerard de Jode in collaboration with Lambert Suavius and the Monogrammist G.A., it belongs to the series *Ruinarum variarum fabricarum delineationes*, a collection of prints designed as practical references for painters, architects, and other artists. Measuring just under five inches tall, the small plate exemplifies the intimate scale often used in 16th-century printmaking to make classical motifs widely accessible. During the Renaissance, European artists turned to the ruins of ancient Rome for inspiration, studying their proportions and ornament to revive classical ideals. This series served that purpose directly, offering accurate depictions of arches, columns, and decaying structures that could be copied or adapted in paintings, designs, and buildings. The etching technique allowed for fine lines that convey both the solidity of stone and the texture of weathered surfaces. Today, the work resides in the Metropolitan Museum’s Drawings and Prints collection, acquired through the Elisha Whittelsey Fund in 1948. It reminds viewers how printed images helped spread knowledge of antiquity across Europe, shaping artistic training and the enduring fascination with Rome’s monumental past.