Herculaneum fresco with damaged frieze below flooded buildings.

by Vanni, Niccolo

Antique print of fresco with fishermen and rowers, recorded c1757.

Rare copperplate engraved mezzotint showing people waiting near the waters' edge. Engraved by Francesco Cepparuli 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 79 CE.

Lovelyl little 18th century engraving with later hand-colour. This scene would have illustrated a descriptive text of the escavations in the region. The engraving is further embellished by a frieze across its base - which shows the grandness of the painted walls, and indicates the areas of the fresco that had been damaged and were indecipherable. The heavily printed text shows through slightly from behind the hand-made paper which is relatively clean considering it is over 250 years' old.

To plate impression measures 115 x 235mm (4 1/2 x 9 1/4 inches). Paper size is 16 x 29cm (6 1/8 x 11 1/2 inches.