Roman Soldier, General and Cavalry Reliefs, Hand Colored Lithograph, 1842

An original antique lithograph with hand coloring, from the Galleria Universale di Tutti i Popoli del Mondo (Venice, Giuseppe Antonelli, 1842). In the upper image a bearded soldier in a crested helmet, a green cuirass with blue shoulder pieces, a magenta cloak wrapped at his waist and a white tunic stands barefoot, one hand on a long oval green shield and the other holding a spear. Beside him is a statue of a general on a square base, tinted bronze green, in a winged helmet and molded cuirass with a strap across the chest, his right hand raised with one finger pointing upward. The lower image shows three relief fragments in gray and brown tones: at left a horseman in a cap and tunic riding a prancing horse with a decorated harness, and at right two fragments carved with saddlecloths, one with a fringed and patterned edge and one hung in swags beside a carved lion head.

The top margin is lettered Tom. IV at upper left, "ITALIA" at center and Tav. 49 at upper right. The captions read "Soldato" (Soldier), "Generale" (General) and "Cavalleria" (Cavalry).

The plate belongs to the volume's account of ancient Rome. The cavalry fragments show the saddlecloths used by Roman horsemen, who rode without stirrups.

Its combination of colored figures above and sculptural fragments below makes it a natural companion to other plates of classical antiquity.

This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed.