Artwork
Horace's Sabine Villa
Horace's Sabine Villa is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Peter Stephens. It dates from 1762 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:across top of sheet in brown ink: Horaces Villa val D'Ustica 8 miles distant from Tivoli beyond vico varo: s Rocca Giovanni; lower left in image, in urn: Ville / attica/ Oraziana; lower left on altar: Bardela / Licenza / Civitella / Villa di Orazio / Roccagov i/ Sempia di Vacu[?]/ Fonte Digenza/ Rianduciae/ Libro I/ Epistl. 16; lower right on altar: WR(?) (sometimes read as PSR) (in monogram) 1762; upper center verso in brown ink: Dr Syke you looked so like / a tipsy Faun, at parting just descended from Quintilian Hills / That vile tickets(?) for self and friends to quaff at Fons Blandusia; center to lower verso in brown pen and ink: (not deciphered); Situation / of Horaces Villa; (not deciphered) / Fons Blandusia / at which when arrived drink my Health, and I shall (not deciphered) geting there not in Loathsome Lacrima by C / a bumpter of Lunelle / if Joh Noble Bipede Hath the (not deciphered) of the enthusiastico classicke than Ecclesiastiche / Horace (not deciphered) Virgil He will be inchanted more with dens of Horace than Paradiso of Pope; (not deciphered) Temple of Vacuna / or (not deciphered) restored by / Vespasian / at Rocca Giovane / vide late / Published dissertation you / or Geo Wille bought at Rome.
About this work
Overview
Peter Stephens created the etching 'Horace's Sabine Villa' in 1762. The work depicts a serene, somewhat abandoned, ancient villa scene.
Subject & Meaning
The etching shows a grand, aged villa with overgrown vines and crumbling walls, accompanied by a solitary figure approaching under a cloudy sky, evoking a sense of quiet solitude.
Technique & Style
Stephens employed fine, expressive lines to achieve detailed shading, particularly in the villa's architecture and the sky. The etching highlights the tactile quality of the laid paper.
History & Provenance
Created in 1762, the etching's provenance and historical context beyond its creation date are not detailed here.
Context
While stylistic comparisons can be drawn, notably with Piranesi's works, 'Horace's Sabine Villa' stands as a distinct representation of 18th-century etching techniques and themes of antiquity.
Legacy
The etching is referenced in the context of notable collections, such as the National Gallery of Art, Washington, suggesting its recognition within the broader canon of etching art.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
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