Niccolò Oraty’s engraving, “Herculaneum Frescoes: Twelve Fauns on Tightropes”, c1762

Niccolò Oraty (aka Nic. Oraty) (fl.1750– 1760)

“Herculaneum Frescoes: Twelve Fauns on Tightropes” (descriptive title only), c1762, after the intermediary design by Giovanni Elia Morghen (1721–1789) after fresco panels excavated in Herculaneum, published in Naples in 1762 by Regia Stamperia as plate 34 (Tavola XXXIV) on page 165 in “Le pitture antiche d'Ercolano e contorni incise con qualche spiegazione” (The ancient paintings of Herculaneum and engraved contours with some explanation), volume 3.

Archive.org offers an online view of this print and its context in the publication: https://archive.org/details/A216168/page/n187/mode/2up.

Engraving and etching on laid paper with full margins as published.

Size: (sheet) 32 x 47.5 cm; (plate) 25 x 36 cm; (outer image borderline) 24 x 33 cm.

Lettered in plate: (lower left) “Giov. Morg: Reg. dis. in Port:”; (lower centre above and below a double scale rule) “Palmo Napoletano/ Palmo Romano”; (lower right) “Nic. Oraty Reg. Incis.in Port:/ (vertical) “Pag. 165.”

Note: the scale shown below the image with the terms “Palmo Napoletano” and “Palmo Romano” identify the different hand-palm sizes differentiating folk from Naples and Rome for proportional comparison with the painting. I understand that this was an early measurement system.

Condition: a strong and well-printed impression with generously wide margins in an excellent condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, significant stains or foxing.

I am selling this elegant engraving reproducing (with dual scale rules) a series of twelve fresco panels unearthed from the Mount Vesuvius destroyed ancient Roman city of Herculaneum, for AU$248 (currently US$178.61/EUR167.04/GBP142.16 at the time of posting this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world, but not (of course) any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries.

If you are interested in purchasing this engraving showing fauns balanced on festooned tightropes, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This print has been sold 

Carlo Nolli’s engraving, “Herculaneum Fresco: Fauns on Tightropes”, 1762, after Giovanni Elia Morghen

Carlo Nolli (1720–c1776)

“Herculaneum Fresco: Fauns on Tightropes” (descriptive title only), c1762, after the intermediary design by Giovanni Elia Morghen (1721–1789) after two horizontal fresco panels excavated in Herculaneum, published in Naples in 1762 by Regia Stamperia as Table 32 (Tavola XXXIII) on page 161 in “Le pitture antiche d'Ercolano e contorni incise con qualche spiegazione” (The ancient paintings of Herculaneum and engraved contours with some explanation), volume 3. Archive.org offers and online view of this print and its context in the publication; see https://archive.org/details/A216168/page/n183/mode/2up).

Engraving on laid paper (with watermark).

Size: (sheet) 31.9 x 42.8 cm; (plate) 34.4 x 24.5 cm; (outer image borderline) 23.8 x 32.7 cm.

Lettered in plate: (lower left) “Gio. Morghen dis.”; (lower centre above and below a double scale rule) “due palmi Napoletani/ due palmi Romani”; (lower right) “Nolli Sc./ (vertical) Pag. 161.”

Condition: a strong and well-printed impression with generous margins in near pristine condition for its considerable age with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, stains, foxing or signs of handling.

I am selling this elegant engraving reproducing (with dual scale rules) two horizontal fresco panels unearthed from the Mount Vesuvius destroyed ancient Roman city of Herculaneum, for AU$248 (currently US$184.16/EUR158.58/GBP134.68 at the time of posting this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world, but not (of course) any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries.

If you are interested in purchasing this engraving showing two fauns on festooned tightropes, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This print has been sold 

Nicolas Oraty’s engraving, “Four still-life frescoes excavated from Herculaneum”, c1762

Niccolò Oraty (fl.mid-1700s)

“Four still-life frescoes excavated from Herculaneum” (descriptive title only), c1762, after the design by the intermediary  draughtsman, Giovanni Elia Morghen (1721–c1789), plate 55 (“Tavola LV”), illustration to page 287 in “Le pitture antiche d'Ercolano e contorni incise con qualche spiegazione”, vol. 3, published by Regia Stamperia in 1762, Naples.

Note: this publication may be viewed online or downloaded free-of-charge at archive.org:

https://archive.org/details/A216168/page/n309

Etching and engraving on laid paper with small margins and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 36.9 x 27.8 cm; (plate) 35 x 25.2 cm; (outer image borderline) 33.6 x 24.3 cm

Inscribed on plate above the image borderline: (right) “Pag. 287.”

Lettered on plate below the image borderline: (left) “Giov. Morghen R. dis.”; (centre) “Palmo Napoletano/ Palmo Romano”; (right) “Nic. Oraty Nap. R. Inc. Port.”

Note: the scale shown below the image with the terms “Palmo Napoletano” and “Palmo Romano” identify the different hand-palm sizes differentiating folk from Naples and Rome for proportional comparison with the painting. I understand that this was an early measurement system.

Condition: richly inked, crisp and near faultless impression, trimmed with a small margin around the platemark and backed with a support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper. The sheet is in excellent condition (i.e. there are no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, stains, foxing or signs of handling).

I am selling this exquisitely delicate engraving (with etching) reproducing four ancient Roman frescoes buried for centuries following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, for AU$162 (currently US$115.53/EUR101.99/GBP87.30 at the time of this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world (but not, of course, any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries).

If you are interested in acquiring this sensitive graphic translation of four frescoes from Herculaneum that are superb showcases of antique Roman understanding of perspective and—even more fascinating for me—reveal an intriguing interest in composing fruit “cascading” over two levels/steps, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This print has been sold

Nicolo Billy’s engraving, “Statue of Bacchus in a landscape with devotional offerings”, c1762

Nicolo Billy (aka Nicolaus Billy) (fl.1762–early 1800s)

“Statue of Bacchus in a landscape with devotional offerings” (descriptive title only), c 1762, after the design by Giovanni Elia Morghen (1721–1789), after an ancient Roman fresco excavated at Herculaneum, plate 28 (“Tavola XXVIII”) illustration to “Le pitture antiche d'Ercolano e contorni incise con qualche spiegazione”, 1762, vol. 3, Regia Stamperia, Naples, p. 191.

Note: this publication may be viewed online or download free-of-charge at archive.org:

https://archive.org/details/A216168/page/n213  

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Somewhat surprising regarding Nicolo Billy’s skill showcased in this amazing engraving, the famous 18^th century commentator on culture (viz. dress, sports, pastimes and habits) and biographer of early engravers—as well as being an engraver himself—Joseph Strutt (1749–1802) in “A Biographical Dictionary” (1785) offers the following shocking personal critical assessment:

“His works [Nicolo Billy’s] are … by no means excellent. He appears to me [Strutt] to have chiefly executed his plates with the graver, in a stiff style, without much taste.” (p. 93).

Heavens to Betsy! Strutt clearly didn’t see this sensitively executed engraving!

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Etching and engraving on laid paper with margins and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 42.4 x 31.3 cm; (plate) 34.8 x 25.2 cm; (outer image borderline) 33.1 x 24.5 cm

Inscribed on plate above the image borderline: (right) “Pag.191.”

Lettered on plate below the image borderline: (left) “Gio: Morg: Reg: dis.”; (centre) “due Palmi Napoletani / e due Palmi Romani”; (right) “Nico: Billy: Reg Sculp”.

Condition: richly inked, crisp and early impression (based on the guide lines for the lettered text being still evident), backed on support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper. The sheet is in excellent condition (i.e. there are no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, stains or foxing) but there are light pencil notations in the margins at the upper right corner and there are faded ink written notes by an old hand below the image borderline.

I am selling this exquisitely delicate engraving (with etching) reproducing an ancient Roman fresco buried for centuries following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, for AU$162 (currently US$116.87/EUR102.20/GBP91.79 at the time of this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world (but not, of course, any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries).

If you are interested in acquiring this extraordinary engraving with surreal imagery executed at the time when the great Piranesi was etching his very different prints of Roman ruins and antiquities, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.