Studies of Twelve Greek and Roman Coins

Description

Twelve Greek and Roman coins spread loosely across Eugène Delacroix’s sheet, their modeled heads and figures giving each a distinct visual presence. The Greek and Roman examples become subjects for comparison rather than incidental objects in a larger scene. The open arrangement allows the eye to move from one design to another, attending to variety within a shared historical form.

Made in 1825, the lithograph gives the coins a printed form distinct from their original material existence. Delacroix’s study brings one visual medium into another, allowing objects made for circulation to become subjects of concentrated looking. The work’s interest lies in the relationship between separate examples and their shared presentation. Its appeal joins the intimacy of small designs to the wider variety suggested by an assembled group of ancient objects.

Read our guide to giclée prints or browse the Eugène Delacroix collection.