Antique Bronzes And Engraved Stones: Hercules, Bacchus, Cupid, Achilles

Antique bronzes and engraved stones:
Hercules, Bacchus, Cupid, Achilles

Beautiful plate engraved on Annonay vellum paper from the famous series “Gallery of Florence and the Pitti Palace”, undertaken under the artistic direction of Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine. It represents two antique bronzes (Hercules slaying a monster and young Bacchus) and two antique engraved stones (Unarmed Cupid and Dying Achilles).
• Top:
• Hercules slaying a monster: dynamic and expressive representation of the mythological hero, his arm raised, ready to strike.
• Young Bacchus: serene, draped figure, holding two cups in an attitude of contrasting calm.
• Bottom:
• Unarmed Cupid: engraving depicting the god of Love stripped of his attributes, in a gentle and melancholic posture.
• Dying Achilles: poignant representation of the Greek hero, struck by Apollo's arrow, collapsing with nobility while still holding his shield.
Technical details:
• Drawn by: Jean-Baptiste Wicar
• Engraved by: Claude-Louis Masquelier
• Explanatory text: Mongez l'aîné, member of the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres
• Dimensions of the plate: approximately 54 × 36 cm
• Paper: Vélin d'Annonay
• Edition: Paris, between 1789 and 1807 Provenance: Extract from the monumental work "Tableaux, Statues, Bas-Reliefs et Camées de la Galerie de Florence et du Palazzo Pitti".

Interest: This plate combines the finesse of neoclassical engraving with scholarly documentation of Antiquity. It testifies to the reception of ancient models in the Age of Enlightenment and their diffusion in cultured Europe.