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Original fileRuïnes op de hellingen van de Palatijn, met een boog van de Aqua Claudia
About This Work
The scene displays a rugged, overgrown hillside where the massive brick arches and crumbling walls of ancient Roman palaces stand in decay. Small figures of travelers and antiquarians are seen exploring the site, providing a sense of scale against the looming, weathered masonry. Letters A through D are placed within the image to identify specific architectural remains described in the legend below.
Created while Aegidius Sadeler was the imperial engraver for Rudolf II in Prague, this work reflects the humanist fascination with classical antiquity and the 'Memento Mori' philosophy regarding the inevitable collapse of material empires. It belongs to a series that documented the ruins of Rome, a project that served both archaeological interest and the era's philosophical meditation on time and transience.
Inscriptions(Latin)
Vestigij et parte del monte Palatino dalla parte uerso leuante che risguarda il monte Coelio: A. ue dimostra parte della casa d'Augusto. B. uno Nichio grande che era in mezzo del Atrio ò uero cortile Palatino. C. il loco doue erano le scale per montare in detta casa ò uero Palazzo nel quale non molti giorni sono si cauorono bellissimi frammenti di marmo che ornauano la facciata di detta scala. D. un pezzo d'Aquadoto per il quale ueniua l'aqua Claudia per seruitio di detto Palazzo et di tutto il monte. Marco Sadeler excud: 11.
Translation
Remains and part of the Palatine Hill from the side facing east towards the Caelian Hill: A. shows part of the House of Augustus. B. a large niche that was in the middle of the Atrium or Palatine courtyard. C. the place where the stairs were to ascend into the said house or Palace, in which not many days ago very beautiful marble fragments were excavated that adorned the facade of the said staircase. D. a piece of an aqueduct through which the Aqua Claudia came for the service of the said Palace and of the whole hill. Marco Sadeler excud: 11.
Connected Texts
Rudolf II
Sadeler was the primary engraver for the imperial court in Prague, a major center for late Renaissance esotericism and natural philosophy.
Provenance & Source
Object
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
paper
height 159 mm x width 264 mm
architectural
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3-flash-preview on April 2, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.