• Hans Sebald Beham (engraver (printmaker))

Design for the capital and base of a column

1545

- This engraving depicts a design for an order of architecture showing the capital and the base. Although the inscriptions refer to "This engraving depicts a dORICA[E]", this is not one of the traditional orders of architecture.
- This print is one of a set of four prints of capitals and bases which were engraved by Hans Sebald Beham. Patricia Condon suggests that these prints were made for a general audience rather than for architects ('Ornament and Architecture', 29). Three of the prints in the CCA collection are from the collection of the Ducs d'Arenburg, while the provenance of the fourth print, DR1987:0342, is unknown.

• pattern drawing
• theoretical drawing
• dessin de détail

Engraving

plate mark: 7.6 x 5.0 cm sheet: 7.6 x 5.0 cm

DR1987:0345

• line drawing

• pictorial drawing

- The sheet has been trimmed at the plate mark except at the l.l. corner, where it has been trimmed inside the plate mark. Traces of glue on the verso indicate that the sheet was once glued to a secondary support.

signed, dated, and inscribed - by the engraver ? in the plate above the image, t.: "1545 VITRVVIVS. / DAS .IIII. CAPITEL."; to the l. of the image, l.l. to u.l.: "QVODLIBET HORVM CAPITVM PONI POTEST / AD CORPVS COLVMNÆ DORICAE" [written sideways]; to the r. of the image, u.r. to l.r.: "DISSE HAVBTER MAG EINIETLICHES GESECZ WERDEN AVF DEN / LEIB DER SEVLN DORICA [written sideways]; and to the l. of the image, l.l.: "HSB" [monogram] inscribed - by an unknown hand, in graphite, verso, u.c.: "P260" inscribed - by one or more unknown hands, in graphite, verso, l.l.: "250 / 241" [the latter number is crossed out]; and in various locations with partially legible inscriptions

• architecture

• capital
• base
• architectural orders