The Prima Macchina for the Chinea of 1748: The Son of Venus and Mars Presented to the Temple of Minerva

Louis-Joseph Le Lorrain, Michelangelo Specchi (architect)

National Gallery of Art

This is a drawing depicting an architectural scene combined with mythological elements. The image shows a grand structure resembling a temple with Corinthian columns supporting a domed roof. Above the temple, an arch made of light or mist bridges the space. Various figures, some with wings, are depicted on the roof and around the arch. On one side, a group is on clouds with instruments and scrolls. At the forefront, more figures, some in armor, stride towards the temple carrying spears. The scene is set in a dreamlike celestial atmosphere, with the base of the drawing featuring text in Latin. The artwork is detailed with attention to form and symmetry.