Description

This magnificent 19th-century lithograph offers a scholarly yet romanticized view of the Temple of Mars Ultor in the Forum of Augustus, Rome. A masterwork of the French lithographic revolution, this plate was printed by the legendary Godefroy Engelmann, the premier lithographer of his era and recipient of the gold medal at the 1819 Paris Exhibition.

The piece is a collaboration of "Vance et Lumeur" (del.), reflecting the rigorous academic drafting of the French Academy in Rome. The composition captures the three remaining Corinthian columns of the temple, soaring alongside the massive fire wall of the Forum. Of particular historical interest is the inclusion of the medieval Campanile of San Basilio, a bell tower that was famously demolished in the 1930s during Mussolini's excavations, making this print a vital record of a "lost" Roman landscape.

The foreground is rich with "staffage"—small figures and architectural fragments that provide scale and a sense of the poussière des siècles (dust of centuries). The print is noted for its exceptional tonal range, from the deep shadows of the Roman masonry to the delicate, sun-bleached textures of the courtyard.

Specifications

• Artist/Draughtsman: Vance et Lumeur (After the French School)

• Lithographer: Godefroy Engelmann (Paris/Mulhouse)

• Period: Circa 1820–1840

• Dimensions: Height: 20 in | Length: 14 in

• Material: Heavy wove paper; monochrome lithography.

• Condition: Pristine plate mark; minor peripheral toning consistent with age.

Keywords

Temple of Mars Ultor, Mars-Vengeur, Forum of Augustus, Roman Architecture, Godefroy Engelmann, 19th Century Lithograph, French Academy in Rome, Prix de Rome, Architectural Rendering, Grand Tour Art, Neoclassical Print, Antiquarian Rome, Campanile of San Basilio, Historic Excavation, Classical Ruins, Antique Lithography, Vance et Lumeur, Fine Art Auction.