About this piece
back to topA vibrant pair of framed 18th century Italian coloured engravings depicting ancient Roman buildings, architecture or interiors from the series ‘Antiquities of Herculaneum’ after the engraver and draughtsman, Giovanni Elia Morghen (1721 – after 1789).
The book ‘Antiquities of Herculaneum Exposed’ (‘Le Antichità di Ercolano Esposte’) was published over a 40 year period between 1744 and 1792. It contained eight separate volumes of engravings detailing the findings from excavations of Herculaneum, Pompeii and the Gulf of Naples once buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.
The discoveries uncovered at Herculaneum and Pompeii fascinated 18th century Europeans and images in the book were shared across the continent. This pair showcases coloured prints of the engravings from page 341 and 337, transformed in bold colours of red, gold and black.
Just one set of four pairs we are selling, these coloured engravings are each alike in their vibrancy and style, meaning that all eight engravings could be used together to create a large series of complementary wall decoration.
Provenance: Purchased from Dinan & Chghine, April 1999. The selected contents of a Belgravia Townhouse, London.