Antique Pair of Roman Hand-Colored Neoclassical Engravings | Muse & Cameos | Custom Vintage NYC Framed

Presenting a spectacular pair of late 18th-century or early 19th century hand-colored copperplate engravings, beautifully showcasing the Neoclassical fascination with ancient Roman antiquities. These exquisite engraved prints are after the celebrated Novus Thesaurus Gemmarum Veterum (New Treasury of Ancient Gems), a multi-volume folio published in Rome between 1781 and 1797.

Each engraving features a central classic blue cameo—one depicting a gracefully draped classical Muse (likely Erato, the Muse of lyric poetry) playing a lyre, and the other a divine warrior accompanied by Greek text referencing Dioscurides, the famed ancient gem engraver. The central medallions are masterfully surrounded by elaborate "grotesque" borders teeming with winged putti, griffins, peacocks, and classical urns. Deep, physical platemarks are clearly visible along the margins, confirming their authentic intaglio origins. The bottom margins proudly bear the inscriptions "Vin: Brenna del." (drawn by Vincenzo Brenna) and "Gio. M.a Cassini Som.co In." (engraved by Giovanni Maria Cassini), authenticating their prestigious Roman origins, alongside a possible collector's monogram stamp in the bottom center.

The antique prints are beautifully preserved and elevated by exceptional mid-20th-century custom framing from the respected Fleck Bros. of New York City (retaining their original foil labels on the backing). The frames feature a bold black outer edge with a purposely distressed, gilded gold-foil inner lip, enveloping a luxurious, textured champagne-gold raw silk matting. This pairing of 18th-century antiquities with high-end mid-century decorator framing makes this set a sophisticated, ready-to-hang addition to any library, study, or gallery wall.

Measurements (approximate - rounded to the nearest quarter inch):
16.75 inches width
22.5 inches height
1 inch depth

All sales are final so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with any questions prior to purchase. Other objects found in the listing photos are for decorative use only and not included in this purchase.

VINTAGE & ANTIQUE
Vintage and antique items are pre-owned and aged goods. In most cases, we do not clean or polish any items that come into our shop. Once you remove an item's traces of age and patina it's not something you can reverse, so we leave those activities up to the buyer. We do not disassemble found art from their frames unless it is necessary to differentiate a print from an original piece of art. Vintage prints purchased from this shop could originate from any print media (e.g., magazines, books, photographs, art prints, etc.). We try our best to describe items accurately and disclose any and all flaws and imperfections. Please refer to pictures as a visual description. We want to make sure you are happy with your purchase so, please do not hesitate to ask any questions you may have prior to checkout.

SHIPPING
As much as possible, we utilize recycled shipping boxes. The box you receive your item in may show signs of wear and pre-use.

PHOTOGRAPHY
All photos are taken in natural light and we do not use any photo filters and do not perform any photo editing (other than basic photo cropping). Depending on your monitor settings, there may be subtle differences in color once you see your item in person.