Transitorium Caesaris [formerly Teatrum Bordeos], from a Series of 24 Depicting (Reconstructed) Buildings from Roman Antiquity

Perspectival view of a building referred to here as the ‘Transitorium Caesaris’, but correctly described in an earlier state as ‘Teatrum Bordeos’. The depiction shows the building in a ruined state and focuses on the entrance gate and the left side of the arcade of the amphitheater. The architecture does not closely resemble the ruins of the building in Bordeaux, and this rendering, likely conceived as an ekphrasis may conflate elements from several different surviving examples into one building.

The print is part of a group of architectural prints depicting buildings from Roman Antiquity, ranging from triumphal arches to bath houses, temples and palaces in Italy, France and Spain. Some of the buildings have been artificially reconstructed based on Medieval descriptions, while others are depicted in their ruinous states. The plates are known in several (uncatalogued) states, and have undergone minor changes over time. Several titles of buildings have been changed, and the plates have been cropped as a result of plate cracks and oxidation.

Most copper plates for this series have been engraved on both sides. This print is taken from the same plate as the 'Tenplus Veneris'.