Items Similar to Antique Italian Marble Profile Plaques of Virgil & Dante, 19th Century
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 8
Antique Italian Marble Profile Plaques of Virgil & Dante, 19th Century
About the Item
This beautiful pair of Italian white Carrara marble profile busts of Virgil and Dante date from the mid-19th century.
The sensitively carved pair of plaques depict the profile of the classical writers Virgil and Dante and are superbly mounted on oval faux Porphyry plaques.
The attention to detail throughout this pair is second to none.
Condition:
In excellent condition, please see photos for confirmation.
Dimensions in cm:
Height 31 x width 21 x depth 5
Dimensions in inches:
Height 12.2 x width 8.3 x depth 2.0
Dante (1265-1321)
Poet, writer, political thinker. Dante was a Medieval Italian poet and philosopher whose poetic trilogy, The Divine Comedy, made an indelible impression on both literature and theology.
Dante was an Italian poet and moral philosopher best known for the epic poem the Divine comedy, which comprises sections representing the three tiers of the Christian afterlife: purgatory, heaven, and hell. This poem, a great work of medieval literature and considered the greatest work of literature composed in Italian, is a philosophical Christian vision of mankind’s eternal fate. Dante is seen as the father of modern Italian, and his works have flourished since before his 1321 death.
Dante Alighieri was born in 1265 to a family with a history of involvement in the complex Florentine political scene, and this setting would become a feature in his Inferno years later. Dante’s mother died only a few years after his birth, and when Dante was around 12 years old, it was arranged that he would marry Gemma Donati, the daughter of a family friend. Around 1285, the pair married, but Dante was in love with another woman—Beatrice Portinari, who would be a huge influence on Dante and whose character would form the backbone of Dante’s Divine Comedy.
Virgil (70 B.C-19 B.C), regarded as the greatest Roman poet, known for his epic, the Aeneid (written about 29 B.C.E), which had taken its literary model from Homer's epic poems Iliad and Odyssey.
Virgil was born on October 15, 70 B.C.E., in a small village near Mantua in Northern Italy. Publius Vergilius Maro, or Virgil has influenced Western literature for two millennia, but little is known about the man himself. His father was a prosperous landowner, described variously as a "potter" and a "courier", who could afford thorough education for the future poet. Virgil attended school at Cremona and Milan, and then went to Rome, where he studied mathematics, medicine and rhetoric, and completed his studies in Naples. He entered literary circles as an "Alexandrian," the name given to a group of poets who sought inspiration in the sophisticated work of third-century Greek poets also known as Alexandrians.
Porphyry
Imperial Porphyry is an extremely rare and historically important stone. By Imperial decree, it was solely for the use of the Roman emperors and the Imperial family. It comes from a single mountain in Egypt: Mons Porphyrites at Djebel Dukhan, high up in the mountains of the Eastern Desert. the sixth-century writer Paulus Silentiarius describes its use in Constantinople within Hagia Sophia, as ‘Porphyry is powdered with stars.
- Dimensions:Height: 12.21 in (31 cm)Width: 8.27 in (21 cm)Depth: 1.97 in (5 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1850
- Condition:
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:
About the Seller
5.0
Platinum Seller
These expertly vetted sellers are 1stDibs' most experienced sellers and are rated highest by our customers.
Established in 1983
1stDibs seller since 2012
1,203 sales on 1stDibs
Typical response time: <1 hour
Associations
LAPADA - The Association of Arts & Antiques Dealers
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: London, United Kingdom
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
More From This SellerView All
- Antique Italian Marble Profile Plaque of Roman Emperor Claudius, 19th CenturyLocated in London, GBThis is a beautiful Italian white Carrara marble profile bust of the Roman Emperor Claudius, dating from the mid-19th century. The sensitively carved Grand Tour plaque...Category
Antique 1850s Italian Busts
MaterialsMarble
- Antique Set of 63 Framed Grand Tour Giovanni Liberotti Intaglios 19th CLocated in London, GBAn elegant giltwood frame enclosing sixty three Grand Tour Giovanni Liberotti intaglios dating from the early 19th Century. The oval shaped plaster intaglios feature subjects pred...Category
Antique 1810s Decorative Art
MaterialsPlaster, Giltwood
- Antique Set of Three Box Framed Grand Tour Giovanni Liberotti Intaglios 19th CLocated in London, GBAn elegant set of three giltwood frames enclosing 12 unusually large plaster Grand Tour Giovanni Liberotti intaglios dating from the early 19th Century. The various large rectang...Category
Antique 1810s Decorative Art
MaterialsPlaster, Giltwood
- Antique Box Framed Grand Tour Giovanni Liberotti Intaglios 19th CLocated in London, GBAn elegant giltwood frame enclosing thirty Grand Tour Giovanni Liberotti intaglios dating from the early 19th Century. The v...Category
Antique 1810s Decorative Art
MaterialsPlaster, Giltwood
- Antique Set Framed 32 Grand Tour Giovanni Liberotti Intaglios 19th CLocated in London, GBAn elegant giltwood frame enclosing thirty two Grand Tour Giovanni Liberotti intaglios dating from the early 19th Century. Th...Category
Antique 1810s Decorative Art
MaterialsPlaster, Giltwood
- Antique Pair Box Framed Grand Tour Giovanni Liberotti Intaglios, 19th CLocated in London, GBAn elegant pair of giltwood frames each enclosing twelve plaster Grand Tour Giovanni Liberotti intaglios dating from the early ...Category
Antique 1810s Decorative Art
MaterialsPlaster, Giltwood
You May Also Like
- Italian 19th Century White Carrara Marble Wall PlaqueLocated in West Palm Beach, FLA striking and most decorative Italian 19th century white Carrara marble wall plaque. The rectangular plaque is centered by a beautiful richly sculp...Category
Antique 19th Century Italian Decorative Art
MaterialsCarrara Marble
- Italian 19th Century White Carrara Marble Relief PlaqueLocated in West Palm Beach, FLAn outstanding Italian 19th century white Carrara marble relief plaque. The circular solid white Carrara marble plaque depicts the profile of a wo...Category
Antique 19th Century Italian Decorative Art
MaterialsMarble
- Pair of 19th century Italian Plaster PlaquesLocated in Charleston, SCPair of Italian plaster plaques of Roman emperors. Round, gilt frames. Late 19th century.Category
Antique 19th Century Italian Decorative Art
MaterialsPlaster
- Pair of 19th Century Carrara Marble Wall PlaquesLocated in Wormelow, HerefordshireA pair of finely carved English marble panels. One depicting a tower entwined with foliage. The second depicting A blacksmiths anvil and crosier (know...Category
Antique Late 19th Century Decorative Art
MaterialsCarrara Marble
- 19th Century Italian Marble Plaque of George Slaying the Dragon, C.1870Located in Royal Tunbridge Wells, KentAntique 19th Century Italian Grand Tour marble relief depicting St George slaying the Dragon. England has always been one of the leading countries in terms of travelling and explori...Category
Antique 19th Century Italian Grand Tour Historical Memorabilia
MaterialsMarble
- Italian 19th Century White Carrara Marble Decorative Wall Plaque of a PopeLocated in West Palm Beach, FLA striking and finely detailed Italian 19th century white Carrara marble decorative wall plaque of a pope. The plaque, sculpted out of one solid piece of white Carrara marble, depict...Category
Antique 19th Century Italian Decorative Art
MaterialsCarrara Marble
Recently Viewed
View AllMore Ways To Browse
Italian Plaques
Mid Century Plaque
Antique Italian Wall Art
Mid Century Modern Plaques
Love Italian Antiques
Huge Wall Art
Antique Black Man
Stone Plaque
Egypt Wall Art
Classical Plaque
Pair Marble Wall
Italian Wall Plaque
Pair Of Art Plaques
Roman Profile
Faux Marble Antique
Mid Century Modern Wall Plaques
Mid Century Modern Wall Plaque
Antique Naples