Album 1, Leaf 47

This drawing represents one of two ancient marble altars dating from the 2nd century AD, which are now in the collection of the Museo Pio-Clementino in the Vatican. Subsequently converted into holy water basins, they were walled into the church of Santa Maria della Stella in Albano, south of Rome, at some point in the 16th century or later. Piranesi’s workshop produced etchings of the altar, known as the “Albano Altar”, and, as with images of the Newdigate Candelabra on the previous album leaf, they too were included in the printed volume Vasi, candelabri, cippi sarcofagi, tripodi, lucerne ed ornamenti antichi disegnati ed incisi dal Cav. Gio. Batta. Piranesi.