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Framed and on the wall
Frame and rooms are illustrations of how the piece could look; it is sold unframed unless the description says otherwise.
Roman Praetorians Relief and a Catapult, Italy, Hand Colored, 1842
$250
€225 · £190
Original print, not a reproduction.
Ships worldwide from the Netherlands, flat, insured and tracked. 14-day returns.
- Date
- 1842
- Technique
- Lithograph
- Coloring
- Hand colored
- Condition
- Good. Light wear to the bottom left corner. Light age toning; light handling soiling along the edges and a few small spots in the margins. Printed image clean.
- Collection
- Knights & armor
- Era
- 1816 to 1899, Empire and industry
- Stock no.
- BG-13061-50
What the condition grades mean
- Excellent
- Bright and clean, with no faults worth mentioning.
- Very good
- Only light signs of age, such as faint toning.
- Good
- Normal signs of age for a sheet of this period: toning, some foxing, small marks or neat old repairs.
- Fair
- Clear faults such as staining, tears or repairs, priced to match.
Every fault we see is written in the condition note, and the whole sheet is shown uncropped in the photos.
This original antique lithograph, colored by hand, is a plate from the Galleria Universale di Tutti i Popoli del Mondo (Venice, Giuseppe Antonelli, 1842). The upper image reproduces a fragment of carved relief in warm stone tones: two Roman soldiers stand side by side, each in a helmet with cheek guards, a cuirass of overlapping bands over a short tunic, and sandals, each raising one hand with a pointing finger and resting the other on a tall rectangular shield. The lower image shows a heavy timber catapult: a long horizontal frame with an upright and a crossbeam, a throwing arm bound with cord and capped in green, a toothed ratchet wheel, a lever for winding, a dotted arc marking the swing of the arm, and a loose iron bolt lying on the ground in front.
The top margin is lettered "Tom. IV" at left, "ITALIA" in the center and "Tav. 50" at right. The captions read "Pretoriani" (Praetorians) and "Catapulta" (Catapult).
The Praetorian Guard was the household troop of the Roman emperors, stationed in Rome. Siege and field engines that stored energy in twisted cords or a bent arm were part of the equipment of Roman armies, used to throw stones and bolts against walls and troops. The drawing shows the working parts plainly, from the winding gear to the path of the arm, in the manner of the instructional plates the book was made for.
The pairing of soldiers and machine, one in warm stone tones and one in plain timber colors, suits a collection of military history or of classical Rome.
Condition: Light wear to the bottom left corner. Light age toning; light handling soiling along the edges and a few small spots in the margins. Printed image clean.
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.
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