Temple and Statue of Diana at Ephesus and the Parthenon, 1842

This original antique lithograph, colored by hand, comes from the Galleria Universale di Tutti i Popoli del Mondo (Venice, Giuseppe Antonelli, 1842). In the upper image a tall cult statue stands at left on a low base, with a high crown, a veil, a necklace and an ornate breastplate, arms held out from the elbows and the lower body enclosed in tiers of carved panels; at right stands a temple with a row of columns and a pediment filled with sculpted figures, set in a green plain with mountains behind. The lower image shows the rock of the Acropolis rising from the plain, with the long colonnade of the Parthenon on its summit, a small domed building beside it, a square tower and fortification walls, and a walled enclosure and houses in the foreground under a soft pink and blue sky.

The top margin is lettered "Tav. 146" at left, "GRECIA" in the center and "Tom IV" at right. The captions read "Tempio e Statua di Diana in Efeso" (Temple and statue of Diana at Ephesus) and "Partenone" (Parthenon).

The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, called Diana by the Romans, was counted among the Seven Wonders of the ancient world; Ephesus lies on the Aegean coast of present day Turkey. The cult statue of the Ephesian goddess, with her tiered body and outstretched arms, was copied in many Roman versions. The Parthenon, the temple of Athena on the Acropolis of Athens, was completed in the fifth century BC.

Two of the most famous monuments of the ancient world on one sheet make this an obvious choice for a classical collection.

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