Ancient world, Mythology, Villa Negroni, Bacchus and Ariadne
Villa Negroni – Bacchus and Ariadne, 1783
Bacchus and Ariadne
Plate VII, the principal and largest plate from a series of 12
Original hand-coloring in gouache
After a design by Anton von Maron (1733, Vienna – 1808, Rome)
Engraved by Pietro Marco Vitali (ca. 1755–ca. 1810)
Rome, 1783
Dedication: “Equiti Josepho Nicolao de Azara Potentiss. Caroli III Hisp. Reg. Catholici apud S. Sedem Pro Legato Procuratorique Generali aequo Bonarum Artium Aestimator…”
An exceptionally large and beautifully colored 18th-century Roman engraving of Bacchus and Ariadne, reproducing one of the remarkable ancient frescoes discovered at Villa Negroni in Rome. This is Plate VII, the principal and largest image in the series of twelve plates documenting the newly discovered Roman antiquities.
The original fresco was located in Room D of Villa Negroni, where Bacchus and Ariadne formed the centerpiece of the decoration. It was flanked by Hercules (Plate V) and Silenus with a Bacchante (Plate XII).
Villa Negroni and the Rediscovery of Roman Antiquity
The frescoes of Villa Negroni were discovered in 1777 during excavations near the Baths of Diocletian. The discovery was associated with José Nicolás de Azara, the Spanish diplomat and patron of the arts who served as representative of King Charles III of Spain at the Holy See.
The newly uncovered frescoes attracted considerable attention. Anton Raphael Mengs (1728–1779) and Anton von Maron were commissioned to make copies of the paintings, preserving their appearance through drawings and engravings. Copper engravings after these designs were subsequently produced by artists including Angelo Campanella and Pietro Vitali.
The project was associated with the Roman architect Camillo Buti (1747–1808), who prepared an ambitious publication combining engravings of the frescoes with descriptions and plans of the villa.
The importance of these reproductions became even greater because the original frescoes were subsequently removed from the walls and sold, and their later history is uncertain. The engravings therefore provide an important visual record of ancient Roman paintings that have since been lost.
Exceptional Original Hand-Coloring
This example is particularly striking for its superb original gouache hand-coloring. The rich colors and careful rendering convey the appearance of the ancient fresco far more vividly than an uncolored impression.
The large folio format, measuring 56.5 × 81.2 cm (22.2 × 31.9 in.), further emphasizes the monumental character of the composition.
The Villa Negroni publication was an ambitious and relatively limited antiquarian project, and complete examples of the series are now uncommon. Individual plates are considerably more difficult to encounter than the better-known engravings documenting the antiquities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
Condition
Very good overall condition.
There is light general age toning, visible primarily in the margins and on the reverse. The verso also has some spotting. The left, upper, and right margins are relatively narrow. The original gouache hand-coloring is exceptionally well preserved and remains the outstanding feature of the print.
Sheet size: 56.5 × 81.2 cm (22.2 × 31.9 in.)
Historical Importance
The Villa Negroni frescoes belong to the remarkable period of 18th-century archaeological discovery and renewed European fascination with classical antiquity. Alongside the discoveries at Pompeii and Herculaneum, the excavations at Villa Negroni contributed to the revival of interest in ancient Roman painting.
Because the original frescoes were subsequently removed and effectively disappeared from view, the 18th-century engravings assume particular documentary importance. This Bacchus and Ariadne is therefore not simply a decorative classical print but a visual record of a lost Roman fresco, preserved through the work of Mengs, von Maron, and the engravers who translated their designs into print.
