Catacombs of the Aruntii, Roman Tomb, 1820, Engraving

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This antique engraving titled "Catacombs of the Aruntii in Italy" shows the interior of a vaulted and painted burial chamber … Read more This antique engraving titled "Catacombs of the Aruntii in Italy" shows the interior of a vaulted and painted burial chamber in which skeletons lie while an elegantly dressed couple looks on, an early nineteenth century London line engraving of an ancient Roman tomb. The plate carries no publisher's imprint or date. The subject is believed to be the sepulchre of the Arruntii, a Roman family tomb of the early imperial period near the Porta Maggiore in Rome, discovered in the eighteenth century and admired for its painted and stuccoed vaults. Such chambers, with rows of niches for the ashes of family members and freed slaves, fascinated antiquaries and travellers, and they were drawn and engraved by Piranesi among others. The engraver here has combined archaeology with a note of the macabre, contrasting the fashionable visitors with the remains of the dead in the shadows of the vault. Without an imprint the plate cannot be firmly assigned. It is an early nineteenth century London engraving, circa 1815 to 1830, in the style of the Kelly plates in this group, and is probably from a popular illustrated account of Italy or of the antiquities of the world issued in parts. No source book is claimed. The print is uncoloured and engraved in line, with careful attention to the painted decoration of the vault. This catacombs engraving will appeal to collectors of Roman archaeology, curiosities and memento mori imagery. It would suit a library or study, framed in black with a white mount, and pairs well with the view of Trajan's Pillar and other Italian plates in this folio. The sheet is in good condition for its age, with light toning and scattered small foxing specks in the margins; the image itself is clean and strong. 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. See less