To an approximate scale of 1:7

.IN. S. LAVRE/ NTINO. (‘In San Lorenzino’); [measurements]

• c.1513/14
  Datable to c.1513/14

Pen and brown ink and grey-brown wash over stylus lines

Bernardo della Volpaia

Ashby believed that the San Lorenzino mentioned in the caption was the church of San Lorenzo in Miranda, the name of the former Temple of Antoninus and Faustina in the Roman Forum. San Lorenzo in Miranda, however, was never known by that diminutive. Alternative candidates, however, include S. Lorenzo in Piscibus near St Peter’s which was popularly known as San Lorenzolo – also a diminutive (Armellini 1942, pp. 964-65). An almost identical early drawing (GDSU, 1692 Ar) by an anonymous draftsman of what appears to be the same cornice, represented in the same way, bears an annotation stating that this was ‘found underground’ (trouata soto terra), while a further drawing (GDSU, 1953 Ar) produced by another anonymous draftsman is again remarkably similar, but, although measured in braccia, bears slightly different dimensions and is thus not a copy of the Coner drawing. In composition, the cornice is similar to the one drawn above it, and to the one from the Forum of Nerva (Fol. 52r/Ashby 89). The Coner drawing was partly copied by Michelangelo, who reproduced a shortened portion of it.

RELATED IMAGES: [Anon.] Florence, GDSU, 1692 Ar (Bartoli 1914–22, 6, p. 21); [Michelangelo] Florence, CB 2Ar: right side (De Tolnay 1975–80, 4, p. 48; Agosti–Farinella 1987, pp. 110–11)

OTHER IMAGES MENTIONED: [Anon.] Florence, GDSU, 1953 Ar (Bartoli 1914–22, 6, p. 111)

Ashby 1904, p. 45
Census, ID 45113

Drawing

Digitisation of the Codex Coner has been made possible through the generosity of the Census of Antique Works of Art and Architecture Known in the Renaissance, Berlin.

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