Rediscovering the Eternal City of the 1500s in the drawings of Maarten van Heemskerck. The exhibition in Rome

A major exhibition at Palazzo Poli in Rome, hosted by the Istituto Centrale per la Grafica, showcases a selection of drawings by Dutch artist Maarten van Heemskerck (1498–1574) from his so-called 'little sketchbook,' now held at the Kupferstichkabinett in Berlin. The show, titled 'Maarten van Heemskerck e il fascino di Roma' and running until June 7, presents the artist's meticulous studies of Roman antiquities made during his four-year stay in the city from 1532, offering a rare visual record of Renaissance Rome's ancient collections before and after the 1527 Sack of Rome.

This exhibition matters because Van Heemskerck's drawings are among the earliest and most detailed visual sources for reconstructing the appearance of Rome's antiquities collections in the 16th century, capturing the awe and nostalgia that Northern European artists felt upon encountering the Eternal City. By displaying the drawings recto-verso with transparent effects, the show not only highlights the artist's role as a precursor to the print culture that Vasari praised but also underscores the enduring dialogue between Northern and Italian Renaissance art, making it a significant event for scholars and enthusiasts of art history.