Italy - Rome, view of the Piazza del Campidoglio; Matthäus Merian il Vecchio (1593–1650) - CAPITOLIVM - 1621-1650

Splendid and elegant original seventeenth-century copper engraving, by the renowned cartographer Matthäus Merian the Elder (1593–1650), published in Frankfurt on the Main between 1646 and 1649 within the famous "Newe Archontologia Cosmica". The work offers a magnificent and detailed perspective view of the famous Capitoline Square in Rome, bearing at the top the Latin title "CAPITOLIVM". The composition captures the extraordinary Renaissance architectural arrangement conceived by Michelangelo, showing in the background the Palazzo Senatorio with its monumental staircase and bell tower, symmetrically flanked on the right by the Palazzo dei Conservatori and on the left by a portion of the Palazzo Nuovo. The square, finely animated by figures in period costumes, is enriched at the center by the famous bronze equestrian statue of Emperor Marcus Aurelius. In the foreground, atop the Michelangelesque Cordonata, the imposing statues of the Dioscuri (Castor and Pollux) with their horses stand out, flanked by the Trophies of Marius on the parapets. A graphic work of the very highest quality and enduring collecting appeal for enthusiasts of the Roman veduta and the master engravers of the European Seicento. The back of the sheet is white.

Dimensions 30 x 38 cm
Will be shipped by courier.