Ancient Roman Scene from the series "Antiquities of Herculaneum"

Ancient Roman Scene from the series "Antiquities of Herculaneum", is an etching on paper realized by Giovanni Morghen in the 18th Century.

Signed on the plate.

Good conditions with some folding.

The etching belongs to the print suite “Antiquities of Herculaneum Exposed” (original title: “Le Antichità di Ercolano Esposte”), an eight-volume volume of engravings of the finds from the excavation of the ruins of Herculaneum in the Kingdom of Naples (now Campania, Italy). 

It was published between 1757 and 1792 by the Regia Stamperia, and copies were delivered to selected recipients across Europe. 

Despite the title, the Antiquity of Herculaneum shows objects from all the excavations undertaken by the Bourbons in the Gulf of Naples. These include Pompeii, Stabia and two sites of Herculaneum: Resina and Portici. 

The Bourbon King Carlo appointed fifteen scholars creating a new “Herculaneum Academy” to study the artifacts and publish the results of the archaeological excavations of the sites.

The engravings are of high quality and the accompanying text shows a large scholarship. 

They were realized by 25 prominent artists involved by the King to prepare drawings and engravings on the finds, among which we can find Giovanni Elia Morghen, Carlo Nolli, Luigi Vanvitelli and Giovanni Battista Casanova.

The “Antiquities” was designed more to amaze readers with the quality of the objects in the collection of the King of Naples than to be used in research., following and increasing the interest of 18th century society for the classical culture and Art in particular.

Through the exaltation of the classical concept of proportions and harmony, the book was of inspiration to the neoclassical movement in Europe, giving artists and decorators access to a huge shop of Hellenistic motifs.

Giovanni Elia Morghen nacque a Firenze verso il 1721 e fu disegnatore, pittore e intagliatore. A Firenze diventò allievo di Giovan Domenico Ferretti e con qualche probabilità entrò nella bottega di Carlo Bartolomeo Gregori. Nacque da una famiglia di incisori fiorentini, di cui non si conosce esattamente l'origine. Al dire di Raffaello, il membro più illustre della famiglia, suo nonno sarebbe stato originario di Montpellier. Dopo avere sposato una donna genovese, si sarebbe trasferito a Firenze, dove aprì un negozio di trine. I figli, Giovanni Elia e Filippo, si specializzarono entrambi nell'arte calcografica.