Irene, Theodosius the Great and Justinian with His Ministers, 1842

About this sheet

This original antique lithograph is a plate from the Galleria Universale di Tutti i Popoli del Mondo (Venice, Giuseppe Antonelli, 1842), colored by hand in the lower image only. The upper image, left uncolored in gray, shows two classical portrait busts in profile, turned away from each other: at left a woman with curled hair under a jeweled cap and a string of pearls at her throat, and at right a young man wearing a jeweled band tied with ribbons in his hair and a cloak fastened with a brooch. The lower image shows three figures against a dark gray wall beside rough stonework: at left a crowned man in a long crimson robe with a green cloth, holding a bowl, and at right two young men in white robes and mantles with red brooches at the shoulder, all in laced sandals.

The top margin is lettered "Tav 138" at left, "GRECIA" in the center and "Tom IV" at right. The captions read "Irene" (Irene) and "Teodosio il Grande" (Theodosius the Great) under the busts, and "Giustiniano e suoi ministri" (Justinian and his ministers) under the lower image.

Theodosius I, called the Great, ruled the Roman Empire in the late fourth century and was the last emperor to govern both its eastern and western halves. Justinian I ruled the Eastern Roman Empire from Constantinople in the sixth century and is remembered for his codification of Roman law and for building Hagia Sophia.

The contrast of the gray busts with the colored figures below is part of the character of this sheet.

Condition: Light age toning; light handling soiling along the edges and a few small spots in the margins. Printed image clean.

This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed. Any framed or interior images are shown for presentation and inspiration only, unless the listing explicitly states that the item is sold framed.