Pt.I: [T.pl.] - Avant Propos - Description Du Table De Polygnote Représentant La Descente D'Ulysse Aux Enfers; [imprimatur]; [colophon] - [Plates]. - Pt.II: [T.pl.] - Description Du Tableau De Polygnote Réprésentant La Prise De La Ville De Troie Et Le Départ Des Grecs - [Plates].
Responsibility Note
The plates are unsigned.
The printers' name is given in the colophon: 'Imprime A Rome Par Phil. Et Nicol. De Romanis Avec Approbation En 1827'.
References
On the Riepenhausen brothers see H. Börsch-Supan, 'Zwei Raffaele aus Göttingen: die Brüder Riepenhausen', in Romantik und Renaissance, ed. S. Vietta (1994); I Nazareni a Roma, ed. K. Gallwitz [exhibition catalogue] (1981).
Summary Note
The publication-date of 1829 is given on the title-plate; the colophon carries the date of 1827.
The Riepenhausens' outline drawings are an imaginative reconstruction of fifth-century paintings made by Polygnotus for the Cnidians' Lesche or 'club-house' at Delphi. These showed Odysseus's visit to the underworld (the 'Necyia'), described in Homer's Odyssey, and the capture of Troy ('Iliou Persis'). The reconstruction is based on the second-century description of the paintings given by Pausanias in his Description of Greece (Bk. 10, chapters 25-31).
Provenance
Purchased in 1868 (see 'Report on the Library', RA Annual Report for 1868, Appendix No. 6, p. 31).
Binding Note
19th-century half white vellum, marbled-papered boards; gilt-decorated spine, black morocco spine-label lettered 'Peintures De Polygnote'.
Mythology, Greek - Heroes - Trojan War - Troy (Extinct city)
Paintings, Greek - Greece - Delphi - History - 5th century B.C.
Drawings - Italy - 19th century
Art history - Italy - 19th century
Pictorial works - Italy - 19th century