The Virtual Tourist in Renaissance Rome

December 10, 2007 7:29 AM

The Speculum Romanae MagnificentiaeA collection of over 900 zoomable print engravings, organized around the work of Antonio Lafreri and other Italian publishers, whose documentation of Roman ruins and statues helped fuel the Renaissance. The itineraries are a good place to start for detailed discussion, or just browse away. [via the wonderful Bouphonia]
posted by mediareport (8 comments total)

I don't know if I should stand in awe of the originals, the drawings or the fact that modern western civilization was based on a guy picking his corns.
posted by DU at 7:38 AM on December 10, 2007

Also, and I realize this is ridiculous, backwards and NERDy, you know the first thing I think of when I hear about Roman ruins? Trantor. I guess Asimov's Foundation was the first exposure I had to what it would really be like to live in a dark age.

It seems like it must have been weird to be an Italian peasant and have all these great works around you that nobody really knows how they were made or anything. (Of course, 97% of Americans couldn't tell you where the Statue of Liberty was made or how TV works either...)
posted by DU at 7:41 AM on December 10, 2007

modern western civilization was based on a guy picking his corns.

*laughs*

It looks like something R. Crumb would have come up with. In fact - and this shouldn't surprise me as much as it does, I know - a lot of the line work reminds me very much of Crumb's stuff (zoom in on the trees here, e.g.). I smile for the future of our civilization.
posted by mediareport at 7:46 AM on December 10, 2007

"Zoomable" link needs a NSFW! :)
posted by Horace Rumpole at 7:48 AM on December 10, 2007

I realize this is ridiculous, backwards and GIRLy, but I can't read the word "speculum" without wincing.
posted by Koko at 10:42 AM on December 10, 2007 [1 favorite]

I first read "zoomable" as "zombie". Over 900 zombie print engravings. That's a lot of zombie art, I thought to myself. Now I want to find some.
posted by Hildegarde at 10:51 AM on December 10, 2007

HOLY CHRIST THIS IS AWESOME. Thank you.
posted by Greg Nog at 11:09 AM on December 10, 2007

Good one, mediareport.
posted by shothotbot at 11:35 AM on December 10, 2007