John J. Gredler Works of Art

A Pair of Hand Colored Engravings of Frescos Discovered at Pompeii

A pair of hand colored engravings of frescos discovered at Pompeii in Naples, Italy.  Circa 1800.

A wonderful pair meticulously detailed hand colored renderings of frescoes in Pompeii in what became famous as the color "Pompeii Red". The detail is intricate and exquisite, and it is clear the influence these excavated frescoes had on the rebirth of neoclassical design and architecture. Rare to see a pair of beautiful hand colored editions of these etchings, and in such fine condition. Signed: Joan: Casanova Rom.Reg .Del - Fran. Cepparoli Napole: Reg: incis: Giovanni Casanova, artist, Roma Francisco Cepparoli engraver, Napoli (We also have a single larger etching from the same edition listed here)

29.25" h  x  19.25" w  x  .5" d

There was great interest in the ancient Roman art discovered with the excavation of the ancient cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum beginning in 1758, which had been frozen in time since buried by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in A.D. 79. These prints of frescoes served as souvenirs for the great libraries of Grand Tour travelers and patrons, and provided great inspiration to neoclassical architects and decorative art designers in Europe and the United States in the late 18th and early 19th century.