Sepulcher for the Kings of France

Art Historical Context

**Sepulcher for the of France** (1739) is a etching and engraving by Giuseppe Vasi, faithfully reproducing an architectural design by the renowned Baroque architect Filippo Jura. Juvarra, celebrated for his dramatic palaces and churches across Italy and Spain, envisioned this grand sepulcher as a monumental resting place for French royalty, blending opulent symmetry with theatrical grandeur typical of the Baroque era. Created just three years after Juvarra death, Vasi's precise printmaking captures the architect's bold vision, inviting viewers to imagine a soaring mausoleum adorned with classical motifs and royal symbolism. Printed on laid paper—a favored 18th-century medium for its textured quality and durability—this work exemplifies the era's print revolution. Etching allowed fluid lines for architectural details, while engraving added sharp contrasts and depth, making complex designs accessible to collectors and scholars. Measuring nearly 40 x 53 cm on the plate, it showcases the technical prowess of Roman printmakers like Vasi, who specialized in vedute (city views) and grand prospects. Today, housed in the National Gallery of Art as a gift honoring its 50th anniversary, this print highlights the cross-cultural exchange of ideas between Italian architects and French monarchy ambitions. It offers a window into 18th-century dreams of eternal glory, reminding us how art immortalizes power.

About the Artist

Giuseppe Vasi after Filippo Juvarra

**Giuseppe Vasi (1710–1782)** was a prolific Italian engraver, architect, and vedutista born in Corleone, Sicily, who rose to prominence documenting the grandeur of 18th-century Rome. After a classical education, he trained as a printmaker in Palermo, possibly at the Jesuit Collegio Carolino, contributing views to *La reggia in trionfo* in 1736 before relocating to Rome that same year. There, unde...