Emblems & Satire · 18th century
€ 765
One of a kind: this is the sheet in the photographs. Ships from Langweer, the Netherlands.
Good, clear impression with visible plate mark. Light age toning to the paper and minor edge wear consistent with age. No losses to the engraved image.
Roman Chariot Relief and Imperial Allegories – Montfaucon Engraving, 1721
DESCRIPTION
Large classical engraving illustrating Roman relief sculpture with chariot imagery and imperial allegories, after ancient monuments recorded by Bernard de Montfaucon. The upper part of the composition presents relief panels with animals, chariots, and standing figures arranged within architectural frames, evoking Roman funerary or honorific monuments. Below, a carefully balanced series of ancient medals and symbolic scenes leads the eye toward two monumental seated female figures identified as imperial personifications, including Magnae Matri Lucilla and Matri Deum Martia Otacilla Augusta.
Published in Montfaucon’s seminal work Antiquity Explained and Represented in Sculptures (1721), this plate exemplifies the early scholarly approach to classical antiquity, in which sculpture, reliefs, and coins were documented as historical evidence. The combination of architectural reliefs, ceremonial chariot imagery, and imperial iconography gives this engraving strong visual authority and a distinctly Roman character. Its vertical format and sculptural clarity make it particularly well suited for libraries, studies, and refined interiors seeking an intellectual classical statement.
This plate works especially well as a standalone work or as a complementary counterpart to horizontal frieze engravings from the same series, offering contrast between architectural structure and narrative relief.
CONDITION REPORT
Good, clear 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 neutral off-white or parchment-toned mat to highlight the architectural structure. Frame in dark walnut, ebonized wood, or antique black for a scholarly, museum-style appearance.
Technique: Engraving
Maker: Bernard de Montfaucon, Paris / London, 1721
