Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae: Wild Animals, from antique wall paintings, plate 1

About this artwork

This engraving reproduces wild animals depicted in ancient Roman wall paintings, published by Antonio Lafreri as plate 1 in a series documenting antique decorative art within the Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae collection. The print preserves images of creatures rendered in Roman frescoes, likely from locations such as Pompeii, Herculaneum, or Roman villas, where animal motifs frequently appeared as decorative elements. Created by an anonymous sixteenth-century artist, the engraving translates t...

Art Historical Context

This engraving, created around 1547 and published by Antonio Lafreri, captures wild animals such as lions, deer, and elephants as they appeared in ancient Roman frescoes. Likely drawn from sites like Pompeii or Herculaneum, the print translates vibrant painted motifs into precise black-and-white lines. As plate 1 in Lafreri’s *Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae* series, it formed part of a broader effort to document Roman decorative arts beyond grand architecture, making classical imagery available to a wider audience. Lafreri’s collection played a key role during the Renaissance by supplying artists across Europe with authentic models of antique ornament. These engravings helped shape the revival of grotesque decoration and naturalistic animal imagery in frescoes and designs of the period. Collectors often assembled personalized albums of the prints, while travelers on the Grand Tour purchased individual sheets as mementos of classical heritage. Today, the engraving holds added value because many original Roman wall paintings have since faded or vanished. The Metropolitan Museum’s holdings of multiple plates from this animal series highlight its lasting appeal as both an artistic resource and a historical record of antiquity’s visual world.

About the Artist

Antonio Lafreri|Anonymous|Antonio Lafreri · 1507–1577

Antonio Lafreri, born Antoine du Pérac Lafréry around 1512 in Orgelet in the County of Burgundy (modern-day France), emerged as one of the most influential print publishers of the 16th century after settling in Rome around 1540. His early life and training remain sparsely documented, with no records of specific teachers or art schools; he arrived in the Eternal City as an engraver, producing works...