The Roman Amphitheatre in Tarragona, Five Centuries of Drawing and Still Unsatisfied

Abstract

In the monumental complex of the Amphitheatre of Tarragona we encounter the confluence of two singularities. On one hand, over the past five centuries, the amphitheatre has suffered a series of profound architectural changes. On the other hand, we have been fortunate that many of these transformations have been documented by means of drawings, engravings, plan surveys and, since the early 20th century, by photographs. Graphic reproduction of Tarragona’s Amphitheatre is interesting in itself if we take into account the evolution of drawing techniques. The objectives of these graphic reproductions were the manifestation of the obsessions of different periods.