Classical Figures, Coins and Scenes – Thesaurus Antiquitatum et Historiarum Italiae
Classical Figures, Coins, and Scenes
Engraving from Thesaurus Antiquitatum et Historiarum Italiae (Leiden, 1704–1725), edited by Johann Georg Graevius and published by Pieter van der Aa. Page 51 / Tab XI
This composite plate brings together statues, coins, and mythological scenes in the antiquarian manner. At the top appear three figures: at center a dynamic male nude labeled Ex Aratias, and at right a female figure in elaborate drapery with tall headdress, while at left is a smaller statuette of a grotesque, labeled Ex Ere.
Below are Roman coin types, including images of Phrygia and other female personifications, with inscriptions to emperors Hadrian and Antoninus Pius. At the lower left is an oval medallion scene of Achates, companion of Aeneas, shown in mythological context. At the right, a group of six male figures in togas is captioned Tabula picta a Raphaele Urbinate — “a painting by Raphael of Urbino” — referencing Renaissance reimaginings of classical themes.
Leiden between 1704 and 1725
Each Plate Approx 28 x 48 cm (Full Sheet Including Margins)
The Thesaurus Antiquitatum et Historiarum Italiae formed part of the monumental Thesaurus Antiquitatum et Historiarum series compiled by Johann Georg Graevius (1632–1703) and published in Leiden between 1704 and 1725. Overseen by the Dutch publisher Pieter van der Aa, the folio volumes combined texts, inscriptions, and richly engraved illustrations of monuments and antiquities from across Italy.
Many of the plates, such as those from the Monumenta Brixiana section devoted to finds from Brescia, document Roman statues, coins, inscriptions, and architectural remains. Executed in van der Aa’s workshop, the engravings often drew on earlier antiquarian sources but were presented in a format that reflected the 18th-century revival of interest in classical antiquity.
Conceived as a comprehensive resource for scholars, the Thesaurus also became a visual library for artists and thinkers of the early Neoclassical age, preserving and disseminating the legacy of ancient Italy through both scholarship and imagery.
Sheet with margins
