BOOK ONE

13

A full-page architectural woodcut depicts a classical triumphal arch or portal. The structure features a large central arched opening flanked by two massive rectangular pedestals. Above the arch is a frieze containing five rectangular relief panels depicting mythological or allegorical scenes, with a standing figure in the central niche. The entire structure is topped by a large triangular pediment containing a complex relief of figures and serpents. Two circular medallions featuring profile portraits of a man on the left and a woman on the right are positioned in the upper corners outside the pediment. The pedestals at the base also contain detailed relief carvings of figures.

architecture: the art or practice of designing and constructing buildings
antique: relating to the style of ancient Greece or Rome
fronton: a triangular pediment or gable forming the upper part of a classical facade
piédestal: the base or support on which a column or statue stands
bas-relief: a type of sculpture where the figures project only slightly from the background
médaillon: a circular decorative element containing a portrait or relief carving