Rectangular Micromosaic With An Allegorical Scene

Rectangular Micromosaic with an Allegorical Scene

Workshops of Giacomo Raffaelli
Rome, circa 1795

Micromosaic in glass smalti, mounted on a copper support
Dimensions: 3.9 × 2.9 cm
Excellent condition

This micromosaic depicts a Neoclassical allegorical scene characteristic of Roman production at the end of the 18th century. The composition features a chariot drawn by a butterfly, alongside a lyre placed upon a flaming altar. The scene unfolds within a restrained landscape that highlights the symbolic elements of the composition.

The micromosaic may be interpreted as an allegory of artistic inspiration, in which Psyche — the soul in the form of a butterfly — advances (the chariot), carried by her own metamorphosis, toward the altar of Apollo (the lyre), the realm of harmony and creative fire (the flaming altar).

The exceptional fineness of the tesserae, arranged with pictorial precision, attests to the technical mastery of the workshops of Giacomo Raffaelli (1753–1836), regarded as the foremost renovator of Roman micromosaic art.