Fortunato Duranti (Montefortino 1787-1863 Servigliano)

This sheet illustrates the Holy Family or possibly The Nativity set in a highly heterodox context: the background is covered with a sequence of classical monuments, the main one bearing above the portal the inscription 'tibi dabbo [sic] claves vestri regni celorum' (I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven), echoing Christ’s words to Saint Peter, who appears as a statue on top of the adjacent monumental staircase. Duranti’s idiosyncratic style reaches a new high in this monumental sheet, possibly executed during his first Roman stay (1807-1815), as recorded in this personal interpretation of classical antiquity.