Engraving On Vellum, Aesculapius, Fortune, Sacrifice And Polyxena, Ancient Statues

Gallery of Florence
Aesculapius – Fortune
Sacrifice – Polyxena
Antique engraved statues and stones Etching

Plate dimensions: 54 x 36 cm

Provenance: Extract from the book Tableaux, Statues, Bas-Reliefs et Camées de la Galerie de Florence et du Palais Pitti, published in Paris between 1789 and 1807.
• Drawn by: Jean-Baptiste Wicar
• Engraved by: Claude-Louis Masquelier
• Artistic direction: Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine (probably assisted by Lacombe)
• Explanatory text: Mongez l'aîné, member of the Académie Royale des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres, Garde des Antiquités de Sainte-Geneviève
• Publisher: Lacombe, Painter – Rue de la Harpe n°84, Paris
• Printing: Imprimerie de la Galerie de Florence, on superfine vellum paper by Johannot d'Annonay

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This superb plate brings together several emblematic figures from Antiquity: Aesculapius, god of medicine; Fortune, personification of luck and abundance; and two engraved stones representing an ancient sacrifice and the mythological figure of Polyxena. The set constitutes a remarkable example of the neoclassical culture of the late 18th century, illustrating with rigor and elegance the scholarly rediscovery of ancient statuary and glyptics. The quality of the engraving, the precision of the line, the richness of the paper and the prestigious provenance of the work make it a highly sought-after piece by lovers of old engravings and bibliophiles.

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Condition: Period laid paper, foxing. Precise and contrasting printing.
Shipping: Clean and fast shipping in a rigid tube.