Study for The Temple in Jerusalem, Plate 424, Physica Sacra
before 1731
Classification
architecture
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Museum purchase from the Mary Hearn Greims Fund
Accession Number
1940-110-12
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
This preparatory study by Swiss artist Johann Melchior Füssli offers a glimpse into the architectural vision of the Temple in Jerusalem, rendered as Plate 424 for the ambitious early-18th-century publication Physica Sacra. Created before 1731, the work reflects the period’s growing interest in combining biblical scholarship with detailed visual reconstruction, as scholars sought to portray sacred sites alongside natural wonders. Classified as architecture within the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s collection, the drawing highlights Füssli’s role in producing precise illustrations for this landmark project. His careful attention to structural form and proportion underscores the era’s blend of artistic skill and intellectual inquiry, helping viewers imagine an ancient monument central to religious history. Acquired through the Mary Hearn Greims Fund, the study invites contemplation of how such preparatory works supported the larger goal of making complex historical and spiritual subjects accessible to Enlightenment audiences.