18th Century Engraving by Franceso Morelli / Francois Morel (1768–1832). The Church of the Sante Marie Del Sole or Temple of Vesta, Rome

This is a fine copper plate engraving by the French artist Francois Morel (or Francesco Morelli, as he was known in Italy). Engraved views by him are in many important international collection.  

This is a lovely work by him showing how Rome would have appeared to visitors to the city undertaking a Grand Tour. The streets are quite deserted with only three figures placed at the front of the image to give a feeling of scale. The streets are still all covered with foliage. 

The engraving was made for the tourist market on the Grand Tour as a memento of sites of great importance. The artwork shows The Temple of Vesta in the Ripa area of Rome. It is from a series of views of Rome that he produced around 1800. This one is in fine condition and with great attention to detail. It has no condition issues and has been recently remounted by our picture framer. It has the new quality acid-free window mount and is sold unframed. The paper and mount are not as buff coloured as suggested in my close-up images. 

The image is 15.5 x 21.5 cm. The new mount is 29.5 x 32.5 cm

This circular building dates to the 1st Century BC and is located in the Piazza Bocca della Verità, close to the Tiber River in Rome. It was more commonly known as the Temple of Vesta (but originally dedicated to Hercules Victor). 

The temple had twenty ribbed Corinthian columns around a circular cella, and a large doorway that faced to the east. The roof itself is a very low tiled cone, in sixteen sectors. It is the oldest marble building in Rome.  Of the original twenty Corinthian columns (see my my engraving) only nineteen survives. The present roof is a later restoration.  

Today - the Temple building remains very much as depicted in Morel's engraving.  The building was rededicated as the church of S. Maria del Sole in the 17th century. As a church it continued in use, until it was deconsecrated and its closure between 1870 and 1890. It is now inherently closed - but you can book special guided tours to visit the edifice. 

These genuine late 18th century prints are now harder to find. This one is certainly a most attractive one showing an ancient temple. It is in such fine condition too. My price is a fair one for such a lovely antique print. It would look fabulous on a period or classical interior. 

Postage will be around £10 to send to you in the UK. This will be applied to your order at the checkout.