This small-scale rendering of the Arch of the Argentarii (money-changers), which was erected in Rome in 204 CE, features depictions of sacrificial scenes and victories of Roman emperors past. The highly detailed model is made of cork and finished in stucco, a technique that was used to create lightweight architectural monuments for collectors during the eighteenth century. Carl May was one of a handful of sculptors who specialized in the technique. The portability of these objects allowed for their circulation and study, and they signaled the owner’s interest in and connection to the classical world. This particular example is likely one of the only cork models of its kind in the U.S., as most are in European collections.
One of the ways that the various meanings of the classical past made their way into social consciousness in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries was through objects such as this. In essence, collecting the classical city of Rome through referential artworks and luxury goods established a bridge between the collector and the spirit of the city, which, among many other qualities, represented knowledge, legitimacy, constancy, certitude, and strength. Savvy artists from Rome and beyond, such as Carl May, recognized the power granted to these representations, and deliberately created works for private collectors with these meanings in mind.
2025
