The artwork, titled “The Roman antiquities, t. 3, Plate XVI. Plan and section of the Mausoleum of S. Emperor Constantine’s mother Helena ta, on the Via Labicana,” is an etching by Giovanni Battista Piranesi. This piece belongs to the Neoclassicism art movement and falls within the design genre. The artwork is part of Piranesi’s series “Le antichità Romane.”
The etching features a detailed architectural plan and section of the mausoleum of Saint Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine, located on the Via Labicana. The upper part of the artwork illustrates a top-view plan, displaying the mausoleum’s circular layout, labeled with letters for ease of reference. The lower section presents a cutaway that reveals the structural intricacies of the building, exposing arched doorways and niches within the walls, as well as various construction elements. The meticulous engraving and shaded details accentuate the grandeur and complexity of the ancient architecture, exemplifying Piranesi’s masterful skill in representing classical antiquities.
