Architecture & Design · 18th century
€ 765
One of a kind: this is the sheet in the photographs. Ships from Langweer, the Netherlands.
Good, strong impression with visible plate mark. Light age toning to the paper and minor edge wear consistent with age. No losses to the engraved image.
Cybele, Magna Mater – Classical Goddess Statues and Medals, Montfaucon, 1721
DESCRIPTION
Large classical engraving depicting Cybele, the Magna Mater or Great Mother goddess, shown through a group of ancient Roman statues, busts, relief fragments, and associated medals. The composition presents Cybele in multiple sculptural types, standing and enthroned, accompanied by her traditional attributes, including the mural crown and the lion, emphasizing her role as protector, fertility goddess, and divine mother. The careful arrangement reflects the Roman cult of the Magna Mater and its visual language in imperial sculpture.
This plate was published in Bernard de Montfaucon’s monumental archaeological work Antiquity Explained and Represented in Sculptures, first issued in 1721. Montfaucon’s engravings are among the earliest systematic attempts to document ancient sculpture as historical evidence, rather than as imaginative reconstructions. His work laid the foundations for modern classical archaeology and remained a standard reference throughout the 18th century.
The balanced vertical format and the strong sculptural presence of the figures give this engraving excellent wall impact. It works particularly well as a standalone classical statement or paired with imperial representations of Magna Mater and Lucilla from the same series, forming a coherent Mother-Goddess diptych. The subject’s combination of mythological authority and decorative elegance makes it highly attractive for libraries, studies, and refined hotel or residential interiors.
CONDITION REPORT
Good, strong impression with visible plate mark. Light age toning to the paper and minor edge wear consistent with age. No losses to the engraved image.
FRAMING TIPS
Present with a wide mat in warm off-white or parchment tone to enhance the vertical composition. Frame in dark walnut, ebonized wood, or antique gold for a classical, museum-style appearance.
Technique: Engraving
Maker: Bernard de Montfaucon, Paris / London, 1721
