The Prima Macchina for the Chinea of 1746: The Temple of Minerva
1746
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From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1746
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This drawing shows a grand, cloud-covered stage set shaped like a temple. Columns line the front, and people in old-fashioned clothes stand on a platform above. On the temple’s roof, more figures pose like statues, while clouds swirl around the base. The tiny text at the bottom hints this was built for a royal event in 1746. The artist used lines to make the scene look three-dimensional, even though it’s just paper. Next, look up etching to see how artists like this carved images into metal.
