Theodora with Her Ladies, Helena and Eudoxia, Hand Colored Print, 1842
€ 225
Original antique · The actual sheet photographed · Certificate of authenticity on request · Sold unframed · Worldwide shipping from € 15 (rates)
Date
1842
Mapmaker / artist
Published by Giuseppe Antonelli
Publisher
Giuseppe Antonelli, Venice
Technique
Lithograph
Coloring
Hand colored
Condition
Good
Reference
BG-13061-139
What the condition grades mean
Excellent
Bright and clean, with no faults worth mentioning.
Very good
Only light signs of age, such as faint toning.
Good
Normal signs of age for a sheet of this period: toning, some foxing, small marks or neat old repairs.
Fair
Clear faults such as staining, tears or repairs, priced to match.
Every fault we see is written in the condition note, and the whole sheet is shown uncropped in the photos.
Condition
Light wear to the top left and bottom right corners. Light age toning; light handling soiling along the edges and a few small spots in the margins. Printed image clean.
About this sheet
This original antique lithograph, hand colored, is from the Galleria Universale di Tutti i Popoli del Mondo (Venice, Giuseppe Antonelli, 1842). The upper image shows Theodora in a crown hung with strings of pearls and a purple mantle over a white gown, holding a large bowl, followed by two ladies, one in a gold diadem and white robe with a yellow border, the other in a red and blue headdress with a robe patterned in blue roundels; a lamp stands on a carved pedestal at left beneath a drawn curtain. The lower image shows two crowned figures in pink robes beaded in gold. At left Elena points with one hand, beside a column; at right Eudossia, in a high crown with pendants, holds an orb surmounted by a cross and a long gold scepter.
The top margin is lettered "Tom IV", "GRECIA" and "Tav 139". The captions read "Teodora e sue Dame" (Theodora and her ladies), "Elena" (Helena) and "Eudossia" (Eudoxia).
The plate presents the court dress of Byzantine empresses, with jeweled crowns, pearl pendants, purple and pink silks, and the orb and scepter as signs of imperial authority. Theodora, Helena and Eudoxia were all names borne by empresses of the Byzantine court.
The strong pinks and gold make the sheet a natural partner for other Byzantine or medieval subjects, and the architectural settings, a curtained hall above and a columned portico below, give it a calm, formal balance on the wall.
Condition: Light wear to the top left and bottom right corners. 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.
