Water-taxi on the Bay of Naples. Fresco, c1757.

by Vanni, Niccolo

Well-dressed people waiting for first century water taxi? Antique print of fresco excavated at Herculaneum c1757.

Small copperplate engraved mezzotint people waiting near the waters' edge. Engraved by Aloja from a drawing by Niccolo Vanni for the most important archaeological work of the 18th century - the recording of the discoveries at Pompeii, Ercolano (Herculaneum) and Stabiae (Campania), the region that had been covered since the eruption of Mt Vesusius late in AD79.

Wonderful little engraving with later hand-colour. This little scene would have embellished a page with text. The hand-made paper is relatively clean considering it is over 250 years' old. Size of plate impression is 110 x 225mm (4 1/4 x 9 inches).