The Palladium

48.5 x 32 cm (19.1 x 12.6 inches).
The Palladium
This spectacular baroque engraving is from Bernard Picart's Le Temple Des Muses.
The engraving was made in 1733, is from the first edition and is an original antique. It has captions in French, English, German, and Dutch.
It is in very good condition for its age.
In Greek mythology, Palladium was the name of large wooden statue of Pallas in the city of Troy. Pallas was the daughter of Triton, son of Poseidon and messenger of the seas. The statue fell from heaven. While the statue survived, no harm would befall Troy. When the Greeks conquered Troy they carried the statue away and burnt the city to the ground. Bernard Picart's engraving shows the beautiful statue in a temple. In the distance, beyond the city walls, a battle rages.