The Baths of Diocletian, Rome

Cock was not a part of the Dutch Italianate movement, being an earlier traveler to Rome, probably before 1550, the year he published a set of twenty-five views of Roman ruins. Later in his life, Cock produced numerous etchings based on drawings by other artists, but he was perhaps best known as one of the most important print publishers in sixteenth-century northern Europe. His etchings of the restored elevations of the Baths of Diocletian, such as this one, were unusual at the time for their archaeological accuracy. The Baths of Diocletian, originally built in 306 AD, were the largest public baths in Rome and remained in use until 537 AD before falling into decay.