Third Triumphal Arch at the ‘Canto dei Carnesecchi’, from an Album with Prints recording the Festivities and Decorations organized in Florence for the 1589 Wedding of Archduke Ferdinand de' Medici and Christine of Lorraine
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Overall: 10 9/16 × 15 13/16 × 9/16 in. (26.8 × 40.1 × 1.4 cm) Plate: 9 5/8 × 13 9/16 in. (24.4 × 34.5 cm)
Classification
Books|Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1931
Accession Number
31.72.5(7)
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
This etching captures the grandeur of the Third Triumphal Arch at the Canto dei Carnesecchi, one of many elaborate temporary structures erected in Florence for the 1589 wedding of Archduke Ferdinand de' Medici and Christine of Lorraine. These festivities, organized under Ferdinando I de' Medici (soon to become Grand Duke of Tuscany), were a dazzling display of Medici power and Renaissance opulence, blending classical antiquity with Florentine innovation. The album from which this print comes preserves these ephemeral decorations, offering a rare visual record of the era's theatrical urban transformations. Designed with input from Bernardo Buontalenti, the celebrated Mannerist architect known as "Bernardo delle Girandole," and etched by Orazio Scarabelli, the work exemplifies the precision of etching—a printmaking technique that allowed intricate details to be reproduced widely. Measuring about 10 by 16 inches overall, it highlights symbolic motifs evoking triumph and alliance, central to Medici propaganda. Commissioned by the ducal couple themselves, it underscores how art served diplomacy and dynasty in late 16th-century Italy. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (acquired via the Harris Brisbane Dick Fund in 1931), this piece invites us to imagine Florence alive with spectacle, bridging historical pageantry and artistic legacy.
About the Artist
Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany|Orazio Scarabelli|Christine of Lorraine, Grand Duchess of Tuscany|Bernardo Buontalenti (Bernardo delle Girandole) (Italian|Italian|Italian|Italian|French) · 1543 |1500 |1523 |1548 | –1639 |1600 |1591 |1609 |
Italian, Florence 1543–1639 Florence|Italian, active 16th century|Bergamo ca. 1523/25–ca. 1591 Rome|Italian, Florence 1548–1609 Florence|