Architecture & Design
€ 240
One of a kind: this is the sheet in the photographs. Ships from Langweer, the Netherlands.
Excellent condition. Clean and vibrant image area with only light age toning near the margins. No visible tears, stains, or foxing.
Ancient Greek Decorative Borders & Palmettes – Classical Motifs, Plate VI
This colorful and richly detailed chromolithograph titled "GREC" (Greek), Plate VI, showcases an extraordinary variety of ancient Greek decorative motifs, drawn from architectural friezes, pottery, mosaics, and frescoes. Created in the late 19th century and printed by Firmin-Didot Frères in Paris, the plate serves as a comprehensive visual reference to the ornamental vocabulary of classical Greece.
The sheet is divided into over thirty individual panels, each capturing a different decorative theme. These include scrolling acanthus leaves, palmettes, anthemion motifs, stylized floral arrangements, rosettes, meanders (Greek key designs), and classical wave patterns. Boldly colored in reds, blues, ochres, greens, and ivory, the designs reflect the vibrant polychromy used in ancient temples and public buildings—long misunderstood in neoclassical interpretations that emphasized bare marble.
Prominently featured at the top center is a lion’s head in high relief, representing an architectural water spout or acroterion. It is flanked by anthemion borders and festoon-like designs that would have decorated temples, painted vases, or ceremonial textiles. Other elements include intricate square tiles with vegetal spirals and decorative panels adapted from Greek wall painting or floor mosaics.
This plate was lithographed by Dufour et Saurier and printed by Firmin-Didot Frères, Fils & Cie, Paris. It likely originates from *L’Ornement Polychrome* by Auguste Racinet, an important 19th-century folio that documented global ornamentation for use by European artists, architects, and craftsmen during the historicist and academic revival movements. Through this publication, designers could study original color schemes and motifs of antiquity, previously accessible only through on-site travel or elite museum collections.
Ideal for students of classical art, design historians, or anyone inspired by the aesthetics of antiquity, this plate offers a visual feast of ancient Greek design—a perfect blend of balance, rhythm, and beauty.
Condition report:
Excellent condition. Clean and vibrant image area with only light age toning near the margins. No visible tears, stains, or foxing.
Framing tips:
A black, bronze, or antique gold frame will enhance the classical richness of this plate. Pair with a white or ivory mat and optionally include a thin red or blue inner mat to echo the palette. Well-suited for academic interiors or neoclassical décor.
Technique: Chromolithograph
Maker: Lith. par Dufour et Saurier; printed by Firmin-Didot Frères, Fils & Cie, Paris, circa 1880s
