Dancing Maenad Engraving by Camillo Paderni & Filippo Morghen, Pag. 129

A beautifully hand-colored 18th-century copper engraving depicting a dancing Maenad, after an ancient Roman wall painting excavated in the area of Herculaneum and Pompeii.

The plate was drawn by Camillo Paderni and engraved by Filippo Morghen, two artists closely associated with the Bourbon archaeological excavations in Naples. It belongs to the celebrated series Le Antichità di Ercolano Esposte, published in Naples beginning in 1757 to document the ancient paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts uncovered at Herculaneum and surrounding sites.

This particular image, listed as “Menade danzante con tralcio e scettro” (Dancing Maenad with branch and scepter), is identified as page 129 in the series. The figure is shown in flowing classical drapery with a branch extended in one hand and a long staff or scepter in the other, set dramatically against a dark ground.

The inscription along the lower edge reads “Camillo Paderni deli.” and “Filippo Morghen sculpi”, identifying Paderni as the draftsman and Morghen as the engraver. Comparable examples of these plates are documented as hand-colored copper engravings from the 18th century.

A wonderful piece for a collector of Grand Tour material, classical art, or antiquarian prints, and especially effective displayed among other works of classical art or layered into a collected gallery wall.

Origin: "Antichita di Ercolano Esposte"  Naples, 1757-1792; Naples, Italy.
Material: Hand-colored copper engraving on paper, framed.
Dimensions: 20" L x 16.5" W
Condition: Good antique condition with age-appropriate toning, foxing, and minor imperfections to the paper. Housed in a later frame with fabric mat. Please see photographs for details.

Collectibility: Le Antichità di Ercolano Esposte is one of the most important antiquarian publications of the 18th century and is highly regarded for its role in introducing the art and decorative vocabulary of Herculaneum to European audiences. Published in Naples between 1757 and 1792, the monumental series comprised hundreds of engraved plates documenting the discoveries at Herculaneum and became an influential source for the development of the Neoclassical and “Pompeian” taste that spread throughout Europe.

The original publication was not broadly offered for commercial sale; copies were primarily presented by the Neapolitan court to selected individuals and institutions, making complete original sets particularly scarce today. Major auction houses continue to describe complete examples as rare and highly important works of antiquarian publishing.