This engraving by Georges Tournier decorates the title page of Receuil De Divers Vases Antiques, a c
This engraving by Georges Tournier decorates the title page of Receuil De Divers Vases Antiques, a collection of Roman vases drawn by Charles Errard c. 1680. The book title and painter’s name cleverly appear as engraved on a column supporting an impressive vase set amid magnificent garden plants and imposing sculptures, such as the two sphinxes facing each other in the background. A female figure gently leans on a shield bearing the book’s previous owner’s name. This type of monumental bell-shaped kraters depicting the thiasus, the ecstatic procession accompanying Dionysus, is known as the Borghese vase, after the Italian noble family who acquired the original in the 16th century AD. The Borghese vase was one of the most admired and influential vases from antiquity, with copies found in several locations. This is an example found in hortis Burghesianis, in the Borghese gardens in Rome, drawn by Charles Errard and engraved by Georges Tournier. Thank you to our new volunteer Lydia for her first Tumblr post! -- source link
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