Recto: The Houses of the Barbarians (Vitruvius, Book 2, Chapter 1, nos. 3, 4); Verso: The Aeropagus in Athens with Cave Houses (Vitruvius, Book 2, Chapter 1, no. 5).
Medium
Pen and dark brown ink
Dimensions
sheet: 7 1/2 x 5 9/16 in. (19.1 x 14.1 cm)
Classification
Drawings|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Bequest of W. Gedney Beatty, by exchange, 2008
Accession Number
2008.105.5
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
About this artwork
"Recto: The Houses of the Barbarians (Vitruvius, Book 2, Chapter 1, nos. 3, 4); Verso: The Aeropagus in Athens with Cave Houses (Vitruvius, Book 2, Chapter 1, no. 5)." by Sangallo family|Marcus Pollio Vitruvius (Italian) from 1530–45 represents an important work in drawings|ornament & architecture. Created in pen and dark brown ink, this work demonstrates technical skill and artistic vision. This drawing provides insight into artistic process. The artwork reflects aesthetic values of its time, o...
Art Historical Context
This exquisite recto-verso drawing, created by a member of the renowned Sangallo family of Italian Renaissance architects between 1530 and 1545, brings to life passages from Marcus Vitruvius Pollio's ancient treatise *De Architectura On the recto, it illustrates the "Houses of the Barb" (Book 2, Chapter 1, nos. 3–4), depicting primitive dwellings that Vitruvius described as early human shelters. The verso features the Areopagus in Athens with its cave houses (no.5), showcasing rugged, natural rock formations adapted for habitation amid the city's storied landscape. Executed in pen and dark brown ink on a modest 7½ × 5⅝-inch sheet, the work exemplifies the precision and fluidity of Renaissance architectural drafting. Pen and ink allowed for sharp lines and subtle shading, ideal for conveying structural details and textures in studies like these. The Sangallos, masters of High Renaissance design, used such drawings to interpret classical sources, bridging antiquity and their era's fascination with Vitruvius's ideas on origins of building. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, this piece highlights the Renaissance revival of ancient knowledge, influencing architects like Palladio. It offers visitors a window into evolving urban forms—from barbarian huts to Athenian cliffs—reminding us how art preserves humanity's architectural ingenuity.