Who painted Pantheum Romanum [The Roman Pantheon]?

Pantheum Romanum [The Roman Pantheon] was painted by Nicolas Beatrizet in 1549.

Where can I see Pantheum Romanum [The Roman Pantheon]?

Pantheum Romanum [The Roman Pantheon] is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Pantheum Romanum [The Roman Pantheon]?

Pantheum Romanum [The Roman Pantheon] is associated with Renaissance.

Can I buy a print of Pantheum Romanum [The Roman Pantheon]?

Museum-quality prints of Pantheum Romanum [The Roman Pantheon] are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Pantheum Romanum [The Roman Pantheon]

Nicolas Beatrizet , 1549

Pantheum Romanum [The Roman Pantheon] is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Nicolas Beatrizet. It dates from 1549 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

Inscription: Inscribed:Lettered lower center: "An. Lafreri Romae. 1549" Lettered upper center: "Pantheum Romanum nunc Mariae cognomento Rotundae notum ad antiquam suam effigiem et formam expressum" Lettered lower right, within an amphora: "Labrum ex porphyrite...iusserunt"

About this work

Overview

Nicolas Beatrizet’s 1549 engraving presents a detailed representation of the Roman Pantheon. Rendered in black‑and‑white, the print captures the building’s circular plan, massive dome, and the surrounding colonnade, offering a precise visual record of the ancient structure as understood in the mid‑sixteenth century.

Subject & Meaning

The image focuses on the Pantheon’s exterior, highlighting its brick walls, grooved roof, and the grand entrance flanked by two stone lions on pedestals. A Latin inscription banner crowns the doorway, underscoring the monument’s historic and cultural significance within the Roman architectural canon.

Technique & Style

Executed with fine, parallel lines, the engraving achieves a meticulous rendering of texture and depth. Beatrizet’s use of hatching delineates the play of light across the dome and the shadows cast by the columns, creating a map‑like precision that was typical of Renaissance printmaking.

History & Provenance

Created in 1549, the print reflects the Renaissance fascination with classical antiquity. While the original plate’s ownership history is not extensively documented, the work has circulated among collections of architectural prints, serving as a reference for scholars studying the Pantheon’s Renaissance reception.

Context

The engraving emerged during a period when artists and architects revived Roman models for contemporary design. Beatrizet, active in the French print workshop of the School of Fontainebleau, contributed to the diffusion of classical motifs through reproducible media, making the Pantheon’s form accessible beyond Italy.