Domus Aurea N° 6 - Carloni / Smuglewicz 1776

📜 Description
Original 18th-century etching engraved by Marco Carloni after a design by Franciszek Smuglewicz, published in Rome by Ludovico Mirri in 1776 and part of the series “Vestigia delle terme di Tito e loro interne pitture”. The plate, identifiable as Domus Aurea No. 6, documents a complex ancient decorative scheme structured with symmetrical organization, concentric partitions, ornamental panels, small figurative scenes and grotesque motifs. At the center of the composition is a figurative scene of mythological or allegorical character, surrounded by decorative bands with medallions, architectural elements, vegetal motifs, fantastic figures and finely detailed ornaments arranged in a regular and classificatory layout. The work holds documentary value as a graphic record of ancient Roman decorative repertories studied and disseminated within the antiquarian and Neoclassical context of the late 18th century.

📚 Historical-artistic note
The series published by Ludovico Mirri in Rome in 1776 reproduces the paintings then attributed to the Baths of Titus and the Domus Aurea, offering a fundamental repertory for the study and diffusion of ancient decoration. Franciszek Smuglewicz provided the drawings, while Marco Carloni translated them into engravings, transforming wall paintings into plates intended for antiquarian, artistic and ornamental study. This print reflects the Neoclassical taste for antiquity and the 18th-century interest in Roman grotesques as decorative models.

🧾 Technical sheet
Type: original etching
Designer / Engraver: Franciszek Smuglewicz; Marco Carloni
Publisher / Printer: Ludovico Mirri
Place: Rome
Period: 1776
Technique: etching
Subject / Title: Domus Aurea No. 6
Dimensions: sheet 64.5 × 75.5 cm; plate 49 × 53.5 cm

🔍 Condition Report
Overall in excellent condition, with clear impression, preserved margins and well-maintained surface. Blank verso.