Description: ‘The Sacred Fire of Ancient Rome’ by Joseph-Marie Vien (1762-1848). The sacred fire of ancient Rome was an eternal flame located in the Temple of Vesta attended to by the young priestesses known as the Vestal Virgins. Romans believed that so long as it stayed alight the well-being and security of Rome was assured.An old dealer label (in French) verso, reads:“A young priestess in a yellow dress and blue sash, pearls, and a white veil in her blond hair, holding a wreath of flowers in her left hand, is about to place a piece of incense on a tray presented to her by her companion in the background, draped in a mantle of gauze and crowned with foliage. In front, burns the fire of the altar: in the background stands the statue of the goddess.”The young priestess isn’t in fact sprinkling incense but salted flour which along with libations of wine, milk, or olive oil was one of few offerings the Vestals made to the Sacred Fire.Joseph-Marie Vien was the son of the Joseph-Marie Vien the Elder (1716-1808), official court painter to King Louis XVI of France. Joseph-Marie Vien the Younger studied under his father (alongside Jacques-Louis David) and at the Académie des Beaux-Arts with François-André Vincent, another of the most important French neoclassical painter of pre-Revolutionary France. From the 1780’s (until 1836) Vien was a regular exhibitor at the Salon in Paris.Academy Fine Paintings only offers artwork for sale in the finest condition it can be for its age, having been professionally cleaned, conserved, and re-varnished. Clients should also note that tracked and signed for international shipping is complimentary.Dimensions: (framed) 88cm x 101cm (34½” x 39¾”)Dimensions: (canvas only) 63cm x 78cm (24¾” x 30¾”)Medium: Oil on canvas.Provenance: 2002; Sotheby’s, London. Thence in private collection of Andrey Zhelamskiy, Blaisdon Hall, Gloucestershire.Presentation: Fine 19th century carved giltwood frame. Condition: Very good. Professionally cleaned, restored, and re-varnished. Ready to hang.
Price: 24950 GBP
Location: Gerrards Cross
End Time: 2024-11-29T14:55:58.000Z
Shipping Cost: 0 GBP
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Item Specifics
Return postage will be paid by: Buyer
Returns Accepted: Returns Accepted
After receiving the item, your buyer should cancel the purchase within: 30 days
Return policy details: Every item we sell is covered by a 14 day money back guarantee.
Unit of Sale: Single Piece
Artist: Joseph-Marie Vien
Signed By: Joseph-Marie Vien
Size: Medium
Signed: Yes
Title: The Sacred Fire of Ancient Rome
Period: Neoclassicism/Romantism (1770-1840)
Material: Oil
Certificate of Authenticity (COA): Yes
Framing: Framed
Subject: Costumes, Fashion, Figures, History, Italy, Ladies, People, Portrait, Rome, Social History, Women
Type: Painting
Year of Production: Circa 1820
Original/Licensed Reproduction: Original
COA Issued By: Academy Fine Paintings Ltd
Style: Figurative Art, Portraiture, Realism, Traditional
Theme: Cultures & Ethnicities, History, Portrait
Features: Framed, Signed
Production Technique: Oil Painting
Unit Quantity: 1
Country/Region of Manufacture: France
Handmade: Yes
Time Period Produced: 1800-1849
