Existing comment:
The Vestal Virgins, late 18th-early 19th century:
This trompe-l'oeil imitation of a sculptural relief depicts the Roman goddess of the hearth, Vesta (left), who was worshiped in a temple containing a sacred fire tended by the Vestal Virgins (as shown here). The left side of this unusual composition was inspired by a well-known relief, which was restored some time before 1763, from the Villa Albani in Rome. The right side of the painting was not derived from the restored relief, and it is possible that the unknown artist may have been attempting to propose a more authentic restoration than the one carried out during the 18th century. |