To an approximate scale of 1:5

[Drawing] .HORILOGIVM. SOLIS. ANTICVM. (‘Ancient sundial’); [measurements]; 44 [early seventeenth-century hand] [Inscribed on monument] [front, left panel] mes. mai/ dies. XXXI/ .non. septim./ .dies. hor./ .XIIII. s./ nox hor./ .VIIII. s./ .Sol. tauro./ .tutela./ .apollinis./ .seoetes./ .runcantur./ .oves. tui. sunt./ lanis. auntur./ iliuim; [front, centre-left panel] .mes. iun./ .dies. xxx./ .nonguini./ .dies. hor. XV/ .nox. hor./ .solstitium./ .VIII. K. iul./ .Sol. geminis/ .tutela./ .nercuri/ .faeni. sic./ .iunae/ .occantur./ .Sacrum./ .Herculi./ Sacrum./ tis/ iunae.; [front, centre-right panel] .mes. iul./ .dies. XXXI./ .non. septim./ .dies. hor./ .XIIII./ .nox. hor./ .VIIII./ .Sol./ .cancro./ tutela./ .fouis./ .messes./ hor diar./ et. tabarie./ apollinar./ nep iunal.; [front, right panel] .mes. aug./ .dies. XXXI./ .nonguini./ .dies. hor./ .XIII. S./ .nox hor. X. S./ .Sol. leone./ tutela./ .cereris./ .palus./ .paratur./ .messis./ .frumenta./ stupie./ .incendunt./ .sacrum./ .spei. Saliti./ .deanae./ .volcano.; [side, left panel] mes. Sept/ dies. XXX/ nonguini/ dies. hor XII/ non. hor XII/ eguinoci./ VIII. K. oct/ sol virginj/ tutela/ volcani/ dolea/ pica[n]tur/ poma/ ortorum/ ortagueatio/ epulum/ minervae; [side, centre-left panel] mes. Oct/ dies XXXI no[n] septim/ dies. hor/ .X. S./ nox. hor/ .XIII. S./ .Sol./ libra/ tutela/ martis/ vindemiae/ Sacrum/ libero; [side, centre-right panel] mes. nou/ dies. XXX/ no[n] guinj/ dies. hor/ VIIII. S/ nox hor/ XIIII. S/ Sol./ Scorpione/ tutela/ deanae/ triticariae/ et. hor diar/ Scrobatio/ arborum/ iovis./ .I. ieurisis; [side, right panel] mes. dec/ dies XXXI./ no[n]guinj/ dies. hor/ VIIII/ nox. hor/ XV./ Sol sagitar/ tutela/ vestae./ hilmisint/ sive. tropeae/ stercorant/ fabaseritur./ dicientes./ oliva. leg./ I. remij/ Sacrum. (=<i>CIL,</i> 6, 2306) [front, left panel] ME[N]S[IS] MAI[IVS]/ DIES XXXI/ NON[AE] SEPTIM[ANAE]/ DIES HOR[ARVM]/ XIIII S[EMIS]/ NOX HOR[ARVM]/ VIIII S[EMIS]/ SOL TAVRO/ TVVTELA/ APOLLINIS/ SEGETES/ RVNCANTVR/ OVES/ TVNDVNT[VR]/ LANA LAVATVR/ IVVENCI DOMANT(VR)/ [VICEA P]ABVL[ARIS]/ SECATVR/ SEGETES/ LVSTRA[NT(VR)]/ SACRVM/ MERCVRII/ ET [FLORAE]; [front, centre-left panel] ME[N)S[IS) IVN[IVS]/ DIES XXX/ NON[AE] QVINT[ANAE]/ DIES HOR[ARVM]/ XV/ NOX HOR[ARVM]/ VIIII/ SOLSTITIVM/ VIII K[ALENDAS] IVL[IAS]/ SOL GEMINIS/ TVTELA/ MERCVRI/ FAENISIC[IVM)/ VINEAE/ OCCANTVR/ SACRVM/ HERCVLI/ SACRVM/ FORTIS/ FORTVNAE; [front, centre-right panel] ME[N]S[IS] IVL[IVS)/ DIES XXXI/ NON[AE] SEPTIM[ANAE]/ DIES HOR[ARVM]/ XIIII S[EMIS]/ NOX HOR[ARVM]/ VIII S[EMIS]/ SOL/ CANCRO/ TVTELA/ IOVIS/ MESSES/ HORDIAR[IAE]/ ET FABARIAE/ APOLLINAR[IAM]/ NEPTVNAL[IA]; [front, right panel] ME[N]S[IS] AVG[VSTVS]/ DIES XXXI/ NON[AE] QVINT[ANAE]/ DIES HOR[ARVM]/ XIII S[EMIS]/ NOX HOR[ARVM)/ X S[EMIS]/ SOL LEONE/ TVTELA/ CERERIS/ PALVS/ PARATVR/ MESSES/ FRVMENTAR[IAE]/ STVPLAE/ INCENDVNT[VR]/ SACRVM/ SPEI SALVTI/ DEANAE/ VOLCANO; [side, left panel] ME[N]S[IS] SEPT[EMBER]/ DIES XXX/ NON[AE] QVINT[ANAE]/ DIES HOR[ARVM)/ XII/ NOX HOR[ARVM]/ XII/ AEQVINOCT[IVM]/ VIII K[ALENDAS] OCT[OBRES]/ SOL VIRGINE/ TVTELA/ VOLCANI/ DOLEA/ PICANTVR/ POMA/ LEGVNTVR/ ARBORVM/ OBLAQVEATIO/ EPVLVM/ MINERVAE; [side, centre-left panel] ME[N]S[IS] OCT[OBER]/ DIES XXXI/ NON[AE] SEPTIM[ANAE]/ DIES HOR[ARVM]/ X S[EMIS]/ NOX HOR[ARVM]/ XIII S[EMIS]/ SOL/ LIBRA/ TVTELA/ MARTIS/ VINDEMIAE/ SACRVM/ LIBERO; [side, centre-right panel] ME[N]S[IS] NOV[EMBER)/ DIES XXX/ NON[AE] QVINT[ANAE)/ DIES HOR[ARVM]/ VIIII S[EMIS]/ NOX HOR[ARVM]/ XIIII S[EMIS]/ SOL/ SCORPIONE/ TVTELA/ DEANAE/ SEMENTES/ TRITICARIAE/ ET HORDIAR[IAE]/ SCROBATIO/ ARBORVM/ IOVIS/ EPVLVM/ HEVRESIS; [side, right panel] ME[N]S(IS) DEC(EMBER]/ DIES XXXI/ NON[AE] QVINT[ANAE]/ DIES HOR[ARVM]/ VIIII/ NOX HOR[ARVM]/ XV/ SOL/ SAGITTAR[IO]/ TVTELA/ VESTAE/ HIEMIS INIT[IVM]/ SIVE TROPAEAE/ CHIMER[INAE] VINEAE/ STERCORANT[VR]/ FABA SERITVR/ MATERIAS/ DECIENTES/ OLIVA LEG[ITVR]/ ITEM V[E]N[ANTVR]/ SA[TVRNALIA]) [Mount] 48 [x2]

• c.1513/14
  Datable to c.1513/14

[Drawing] Pen and brown ink and brown wash; on laid paper (232x166mm), stitching holes along left edge, rounded corners at right, holes near right edge, inlaid [Verso] Blank [Mount] Frame lines, in pen and dark brown ink, 10mm apart [Verso of mount] Window (223x156mm)

Bernardo della Volpaia

[Drawing] Anchor in circle topped with six-pointed star (variant 1; cut at left of window) [Mount] Fleur-de-lys in circle surmounted with crown (variant 1; cut by bottom edge of window)

This elaborate marble sundial, now lost, was once part of the collection of antique sculpture housed in Palazzo Della Valle in Rome, and was already known in the late fifteenth century. Although frequently drawn, most representations of it (including a pair by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger) focus on the twelve panels of inscriptions relating to the months of the year and on the relief carvings of astrological symbols above them, often ignoring the sundial itself. The Coner drawing, by contrast, depicts the whole sundial, and it is the earliest surviving image to do so. It records its front, a raking view of its right-hand side (a formula like that used in many other drawings in the album), and also the sundial proper on the top. In fact, it focuses on the sundial rather than on the inscriptions, as is clear from its failure to record those relating to the months of January, February, March and April, which were on the object’s unseen left-hand side. Also omitted are the reliefs representing the signs of the zodiac that featured in the small panels above each inscription, and also those of horses that appeared on the flanks in additional oblong panels, one of which is shown as blank in the drawing above the months of October, November and December. Even if the superstructure’s precise shape is difficult to comprehend in detail, the drawing reveals that it had a curving recess at the centre and angled planes at the sides, all incised with patterns of lines that functioned as the dials, as well as slots on the upper surface that would probably have held metal gnomons. In this way, the drawing provides a good sense of how the sundial would have worked. The sundial’s composition also appears in some later drawings, such as those from the mid- sixteenth century by Jean-Jacques Boissard in the Codex Holmiensis, which show similar sets of incised lines (on three neighbouring elevations), but these fail to record the upper-surface slots. Other images are in general less revealing, including its depiction in a painting of miscellaneous antiquities by Hermannus Posthumus, dated 1536, which adopts a similar viewpoint to the one used for the drawing but lacks the drawing’s detail.

The Coner drawing is presumably some sort of equivalent to the depiction of the object that accompanied the letter Andreas Coner sent to Bernardo Rucellai in 1513 (Fol. 29r/Ashby 47), as is implied by its proximity to the copy of the letter in the codex. In the album’s present arrangement, it is on the page that follows the copy-letter but, in the original sketchbook, the two faced each other. Yet the text of the letter suggests that the drawing differed from the one accompanying the letter in certain particulars, such as in omitting the relief of two horses, which the letter specifically mentions and, presumably, the reliefs of the zodiac signs as well (the exclusion of sculptural embellishments being common practice in the compilation). The letter also makes it clear that the inscriptions were ‘in part legible and in part damaged’ but they are not presented in this way in the drawing. For instance, the first column, relating to the month of May, is missing its final lines, a lacuna represented as a breakage in the Boissard drawing, but not shown as damage in this one. The transcribed text, moreover, is full of errors. For example, the word Neptunal(ia) forming the last line of the July inscription is rendered as ‘nepiunal’, the words Non(ae) quint (anae) near the top of the August panel become ‘nonguini’, and the words arborum oblaqueatio towards the bottom of the September plaque become ‘ortorum ortagueatio’ (see also Ashby 1904).

OTHER IMAGES MENTIONED: [Antonio da Sangallo the Younger] Florence, GDSU, 2108 A (A)r and (B)r (Frommel–Adams 2000, p. 266); [Jean-Jacques Boissard] Stockholm, Kungliga Biblioteket, Codex Holmiensis, fol. 45r; [Hermannus Posthumus] Vienna, Liechtenstein Museum, inv. GE740 (Tempus edax rerum) (Rubinstein 1985)

Ashby 1904, pp. 33–34
Ashby 1913, pp. 200–01
Günther 1988, p. 338
Census, ID 44340

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.

If you have any further information about this object, please contact us: drawings@soane.org.uk