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Classical Roman Paintings

CLASSICAL ROMAN STYLE

During Mount Vesuvius’ eruption in 79 A.D., Pompeii and Herculaneum in today’s Italy were preserved as they were on the day of their destruction. Particularly at Herculaneum, furnishings were carbonized beneath volcanic ash. This was pivotal to understanding how Classical Roman furniture was designed. Archaeological investigations and printed reproductions of discoveries would influence styles evoking this ancient civilization, from the Renaissance to neoclassicism.

While knowledge of Classical Roman furniture comes from rare surviving pieces, it is also derived from frescoes and sculptures portraying Roman life. Much of Roman art, architecture and design was informed by Greece — Roman architect, military engineer and writer Marcus Vitruvius Pollio, whose timeless De architectura is taught in contemporary architecture classes and pays tribute to classical architecture, visited Greece while working under Julius Caesar and admired the country’s architectural developments. The Roman solium references the Greek thronos, a stately chair of honor with an upright form and footstool. As the Roman Empire spread across Europe and into North Africa and Western Asia, the expansion of trade for silver, silk, marble and wood allowed for more luxurious designs.

Classical Roman furniture was made from bronze, wood and stone — in particular, marble — with ornate touches like tortoiseshell veneers, bone and glass inlays and claw feet. Ornaments depicting lion heads and mythological figures were sculpted from silver, bronze and ivory. Compared to the decorative attention given to the mosaic floors and wall paintings, however, furniture for even a wealthy house was minimal. It focused on the necessities for guests arriving for both socializing and business and the rooms housing family, relatives and enslaved people.

The triclinium dining room had banquet couches, items so prized they were sometimes interred with the deceased. Tall bronze or terracotta candelabras held oil lamps for lighting. Carved marble tables reflected status, while the lararium home shrine demonstrated faith.

Find a collection of Classical Roman decorative objects, tables, seating and other furniture on 1stDibs.

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Style: Classical Roman
Hannibal Carthaginian Italian Portrait Lombard Artist Early 1600s
Located in Milan, IT
Portrait of Hannibal Carthaginian general and leader -Carthage, 247 a. C. - 183 a. C.- oil painting on canvas by Italian artist active in the Lombardy area of the early 1600s. The se...
Category

Early 17th Century European Antique Classical Roman Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Poplar

Two Roman ‘Twelve Caesars’ paintings of Vespasian and Titus
Located in UTRECHT, UT
Italian school, after Peter Paul Rubens Two portraits from the range of the ‘Twelve Caesars’. Three-quarter laureate portraits in oval. The name of the emperor below with Roman num...
Category

17th Century European Antique Classical Roman Paintings

Materials

Wood

Pair of Watercolor Paintings in the style of Pompeian Wall or Ceiling Decoration
Located in Morristown, NJ
20th c., an unusual pair of watercolors in the style of Pompeian wall of ceiling decor. Both are on paper mounted on board in plexiglass shadow box frame...
Category

1980s Italian Vintage Classical Roman Paintings

Materials

Plexiglass, Wood, Paint, Paper

19th Century After Fra Angelico "A Group of Angels" Painted on Wood
Located in Bradenton, FL
A 19th century grand tour copy of Fra Angelico's most popular work, "A Group Of Angels" painted on a circular 13" diameter wooden board. Features a group of six angels wearing blue, ...
Category

19th Century Italian Antique Classical Roman Paintings

Materials

Wood

Pont Max, Roman In Armour, Painting, Late XVIIth Early XVIIIth
Located in MARSEILLE, FR
Large oil on canvas, portrait of a Roman emperor in armor in profile, the view of a city in the background The mention 'Pont Max' refers to the Pontifex Maximus, the Grand Pontiff, ...
Category

16th Century Italian Antique Classical Roman Paintings

Materials

Paint

Rare and Large Classical Trompe-L'oeil Meissen Porcelain Plaque
Located in London, GB
Rare and large classical Trompe-l'oeil meissen porcelain plaque. German, 19th century. Measures: frame: height 60 cm, width 55 cm, depth 5 cm. plaque: height 45 cm, width 40 cm. ...
Category

19th Century German Antique Classical Roman Paintings

Materials

Porcelain, Giltwood

Leonardo Da Vinci The Complete Paintings Hardcover Coffee Table Book
By Leonardo da Vinci
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Leonardo da Vinci. The Complete Paintings. Book by Pietro Marani Da Vinci in detail: Leonardo's life and work all paintings. One of the most fully ac...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Classical Roman Paintings

Materials

Paper

Italian 19th Century Oil on Alabaster Painting Pompeian Interior Scene in Ormolu
By Luigi Bazzani
Located in Firenze, IT
This Italian 19th century oil on alabastrer painting depicts an opulent interior in full ancient neoclassical Pompeian style with people festing. The figurative inner scene is painted on a rectangular alabaster slab and housed in a wonderful giltbronze frame resting on casted arrow feet. This is a single section of a bigger surtout de table. You can now use it as a decorative centrepiece on a table or on a console or turn it into a wall decoration. We can provide framing options in this case. The characters enjoy a rich banquet in an elaborate interior, the room renderings...
Category

19th Century Italian Antique Classical Roman Paintings

Materials

Alabaster, Bronze, Ormolu

Antique English Oil/Canvas of a Young Girl Holding a Rose After William Hammer
By Hammer
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Antique English Oil/Canvas of a Young Girl holding a Rose after William Hammer, within a gilt frame, ready to be hung.
Category

19th Century English Antique Classical Roman Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Cristina Vergano Painting "Francoise" Oil on Wood, 2009
Located in New York, NY
Cristina Vergano Painting "Francoise" Oil on Wood, 2009. Dimensions: W 30" x H 30" x D 2" Cristina Vergano is known for her paintings that blend a classical style with fantastica...
Category

Early 2000s Italian Classical Roman Paintings

Materials

Wood, Paint

Cristina Vergano Painting "The Best of All Possible Worlds" Oil on Wood, 1990
Located in New York, NY
Cristina Vergano painting "The Best of All Possible Worlds" oil on wood, 1990. Dimensions: Diam: 42" Cristina Vergano is known for her paintings that blend a classical style with...
Category

1990s Italian Classical Roman Paintings

Materials

Wood, Paint

Italian Putti Oil Painting, circa 1940
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Charming oil on canvas depicting a scene with puttis frolicking in a garden setting. The painting needs slight restoration as depicted in photos. The painting has a beautiful giltwoo...
Category

Early 20th Century Italian Classical Roman Paintings

Materials

Giltwood, Paint

Pair of Italian Capodimonte Painted Porcelain Plaques
Located in London, GB
Each Capodimonte porcelain plaque in this pair portrays a famous episode from Roman history: The Rape of the Sabines. The scene on each pl...
Category

19th Century Italian Antique Classical Roman Paintings

Materials

Lapis Lazuli, Bronze, Ormolu

Pier Gustafson Original Art, Fountain Pen Series for Boston Pen Show
Located in East Hampton, NY
This amazing whimsical painting of a discus thrower is a coin filler. The artist, Pier Gustafson, thought it would be fun to replace Fountain Pens in pl...
Category

1990s American Classical Roman Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic, Teak

Pier Gustafson Fountain Pen Series for Boston Pen Fair Wall Art
Located in East Hampton, NY
This amazing whimsical painting of a Roman Soldier with a Fountain Pen head. The artist, Pier Gustafson, thought it would be fun to replace Fountain Pen...
Category

1990s American Classical Roman Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic, Teak

Pier Gustafson Original Pen Series for Boston Pen Fair Wall Art
Located in East Hampton, NY
This amazing whimsical painting of The Tomb represents the 3 Major Pen manufacturers. The artist, Pier Gustafson, thought it would be fun to replace fou...
Category

1990s American Classical Roman Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Canvas, Teak

Sepia on Board by Tomas Rut after Michelangelo
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Hand-painted studies by Tomasz Rut (Polish, 1961- ) based on Michelangelo's Ignudi, 20 nude males as seen on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome, mixed-media; sepia crayon and...
Category

Late 20th Century American Classical Roman Paintings

Materials

Wood

A Pair of German K.P.M Porcelain Plaques Depicting "Aligira and Tirian"
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A Pair of antique German KPM porcelain plaques depicting "Aligira and Tirian" Marked with 'K.P.M' Sceptre Mark with the letters 'SZ', with size marks 915-255, marked with Royal Vien...
Category

19th Century German Antique Classical Roman Paintings

Materials

Porcelain

18th Century Italian Painting of a Soldier, Fragement from a Larger Painting
Located in Buchanan, MI
Very handsome Italian portrait of a soldier, in ebonized frame with silver detail. Measurements include frame.
Category

18th Century Italian Antique Classical Roman Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Italian Oil Painting on Canvas of the Blessed Virgin Immaculate from 1600
Located in Milano, MI
Oil painting on canvas depicting the Blessed Immaculate Virgin with the crown of twelve stars and the crescent moon, created in 1600. Ø cm 47 h cm 58 The figure originally represen...
Category

17th Century Italian Antique Classical Roman Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Cristina Vergano Painting "Laws of Attraction XXI" Oil on Wood
Located in New York, NY
Cristina Vergano painting "Laws of Attraction XXI" oil on wood. Dimensions: W 24" x H 24" x D 2" Cristina Vergano is known for her paintings that blend a classical style with fa...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Classical Roman Paintings

Materials

Wood, Paint

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Classical Roman paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Classical Roman paintings for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage paintings created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include wall decorations, serveware, ceramics, silver and glass, more furniture and collectibles and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, canvas and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Classical Roman paintings made in a specific country, there are Europe, Italy, and North America pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original paintings, popular names associated with this style include Cristina Vergano, K.P.M. Berlin, Leonardo da Vinci, and Meissen Porcelain. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for paintings differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $395 and tops out at $57,336 while the average work can sell for $6,700.

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