Busacca Gallery

This is a black and white antique copper etching of a figure from mythology, a complete and authentic universal work. It is part of a massive folio volume of pages on handmade paper, which was from a popular set of French prints depicting ancient Roman or Greek mythology figures. The edition of these prints is unknown, but they were produced in the 1700s. These images can be found in various forms and are a set of complete universal figural geography. They were engraved for some kind of geographical dictionary and have full plate marks along with margins, but are unmounted. These prints are hard to find and are highly sought after by world print collectors. I have several of them available for sale within this collection. Copyright did not really exist during this time period, so many images can take on various forms, but within a very narrow time frame, making exact attribution and dating difficult.

During the 18th century, the revival of interest in Greek and Roman mythology was driven by several factors that contributed to its popularity. These factors include: Neoclassicism: The 18th century saw the rise of the Neoclassical movement, an artistic and intellectual movement that sought to revive the artistic styles, philosophies, and values of ancient Greece and Rome. This movement was a reaction against the ornate and extravagant Baroque style of the previous century, and artists and intellectuals of the time looked to the simplicity, rationality, and idealism of classical antiquity as a source of inspiration. Depicting Greek and Roman gods and mythology in art became a way for artists to express the ideals of Neoclassicism and evoke the timeless beauty and wisdom associated with the classical world. Enlightenment Ideals: The 18th century was also the Age of Enlightenment, a period of intellectual and philosophical enlightenment that emphasized reason, logic, and scientific inquiry. The study of ancient Greek and Roman mythology was seen as a way to explore and understand human nature, morality, and the universe through allegory and symbolism. Many Enlightenment philosophers and thinkers believed that the myths and stories of ancient Greece and Rome contained moral and philosophical truths that were relevant to contemporary society, and they used classical mythology as a framework for their ideas and discussions. Grand Tour and Archaeological Discoveries: The Grand Tour, a tradition in which young aristocrats from England and other European countries traveled to Italy to study classical art, literature, and culture, was also popular in the 18th century. These travelers were exposed to the ruins of ancient Greek and Roman civilization, and the fascination with classical antiquity grew as archaeological discoveries were made. These discoveries fueled interest in the myths and stories of ancient Greece and Rome, and artists of the time incorporated these themes into their works to capture the allure and mystique of the classical world. Aesthetic Appeal: The beauty and aesthetic appeal of classical mythology also played a significant role in its popularity during the 18th century. The gods and goddesses of Greek and Roman mythology were often depicted as powerful, idealized figures with graceful forms, representing the ideal of physical beauty. The stories of gods, heroes, and epic battles were rich in visual imagery and provided artists with a wealth of subject matter that could be depicted in various artistic mediums, including painting, sculpture, and literature. The timeless appeal of classical mythology as a source of artistic inspiration continues to captivate audiences to this day. In summary, the popularity of depicting Greek and Roman gods and mythology in the 18th century was driven by the ideals of Neoclassicism, the intellectual curiosity of the Enlightenment, the influence of the Grand Tour and archaeological discoveries, and the aesthetic appeal of classical mythology. These factors combined to create a cultural fascination with the myths and stories of ancient Greece and Rome, which were reflected in the art, literature, and intellectual discourse of the time.

Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engraving

Engraving is the practice of incising a design onto a hard, flat surface, by cutting grooves into it. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold or steel are engraved, or may provide an intaglio printing plate, of copper or another metal, for printing images on paper, which are called engravings. Engraving was a historically important method of producing images on paper, both in artistic printmaking, and also for commercial reproductions and illustrations for books and magazines. It has long been replaced by photography in its commercial applications and, partly because of the difficulty of learning the technique, is much less common in printmaking, where it has been largely replaced by etching and other techniques. Other terms often used for engravings are copper-plate engraving and Line engraving. These should all mean exactly the same, but especially in the past were often used very loosely to cover several printmaking techniques, so that many so-called engravings were in fact produced by totally different techniques, such as etching.