Remains of Hadrian's Villa

27.5 x 20 cm (11 x 8 inches).

Hadrian was Emperor of the Roman Empire from AD117 to 138

This is an original engraving from 1799 by Domenico Pronti. It's a genuine antique print, not a reproduction. It was made by copper plate engraving, has clear plate marks and was printed on heavy weight paper. The engraving is on one side, the other side is blank. It's in good condition, especially considering it's over 200 years old. The paper is creamy white, and a little tan toned at the edges of the margin. There are a few scattered spots of foxing as is usual in engravings of this great age.
These prints by Pronti are miniature masterpieces of the art of engraving. Pronti evokes a romantic Rome with the same technical mastery and precision as Piranesi. Rome of 1795 was rustic compared to many European cities of that era. With a population of only 160,000, its unpaved roads lent it an almost rural atmosphere. The magnificent monuments must have seemed like alien spacecraft in a desert to the contemporary visitor. Visitors flocked to 18th century Rome, in the great European tradition of the "Grand Tour." Domenico Pronti made these engravings to act as guides to their tours and mementos.