Design for a Frieze with Roman Trophies
1800–1900
Medium
Black ink and wash
Dimensions
4-3/4 x 14-7/8 in
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of János Scholz, 1961
Accession Number
61.636.54(1)
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate drawing, created by an anonymous Italian artist between 1800 and 1900, captures the enduring fascination with ancient Rome during the 19th century. Titled *Design for a Frieze with Roman Trophies*, it depicts a horizontal arrangement of classical military symbols—shields, helmets, spears, and garlands—rendered in black ink and wash. Such friezes were popular decorative motifs for architecture and furniture, reflecting the neoclassical revival that swept Europe as artists and patrons looked to Roman antiquity for inspiration. The medium of ink and wash allows for precise linework...