Roman Statues, Coins, and Mythological Figures from Brescia – Thesaurus Antiquitatum
Roman Statues, Coins, and Mythological Figures from Brescia
Engraving from Thesaurus Antiquitatum et Historiarum Italiae (Leiden, 1704–1725), edited by Johann Georg Graevius and published by Pieter van der Aa.
This plate brings together a selection of Roman Imperial statuary and coin types, many of them archaeological finds from the ancient city of Brixia (modern Brescia). At the top left stands a draped female figure with raised arm, inscribed to Nonia Macrina, priestess at Brixia. Opposite is an armored statue of a warrior with spear and helmet, accompanied by a wolf. Between them appear medals: one with a female head in profile, another showing a standing figure with spear and shield, inscribed GENIO INVICTO.
Below are additional coin motifs, including paired birds with the letters S.C. and a palm or laurel branch. At lower left is a playful mythological vignette of a child riding a goat, while at the right a Roman soldier leads a pair of leashed lions and carries a bow.
Together the figures and coin-types illustrate the antiquarian interest in juxtaposing local archaeological finds from Brescia with Roman inscriptions, statuary, and mythological emblems, creating a visual record of classical religion, civic identity, and artistic invention.
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.
