Classical Roman Wall Decorations
CLASSICAL ROMAN STYLE
During Mount Vesuvius’ eruption in 79 A.D., Pompeii and Herculaneum in today’s Italy were preserved as they were on the day of their destruction. Particularly at Herculaneum, furnishings were carbonized beneath volcanic ash. This was pivotal to understanding how Classical Roman furniture was designed. Archaeological investigations and printed reproductions of discoveries would influence styles evoking this ancient civilization, from the Renaissance to neoclassicism.
While knowledge of Classical Roman furniture comes from rare surviving pieces, it is also derived from frescoes and sculptures portraying Roman life. Much of Roman art, architecture and design was informed by Greece — Roman architect, military engineer and writer Marcus Vitruvius Pollio, whose timeless De architectura is taught in contemporary architecture classes and pays tribute to classical architecture, visited Greece while working under Julius Caesar and admired the country’s architectural developments. The Roman solium references the Greek thronos, a stately chair of honor with an upright form and footstool. As the Roman Empire spread across Europe and into North Africa and Western Asia, the expansion of trade for silver, silk, marble and wood allowed for more luxurious designs.
Classical Roman furniture was made from bronze, wood and stone — in particular, marble — with ornate touches like tortoiseshell veneers, bone and glass inlays and claw feet. Ornaments depicting lion heads and mythological figures were sculpted from silver, bronze and ivory. Compared to the decorative attention given to the mosaic floors and wall paintings, however, furniture for even a wealthy house was minimal. It focused on the necessities for guests arriving for both socializing and business and the rooms housing family, relatives and enslaved people.
The triclinium dining room had banquet couches, items so prized they were sometimes interred with the deceased. Tall bronze or terracotta candelabras held oil lamps for lighting. Carved marble tables reflected status, while the lararium home shrine demonstrated faith.
Find a collection of Classical Roman decorative objects, tables, seating and other furniture on 1stDibs.
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Style: Classical Roman
French Academic Drawing of a Classical Roman
Located in Houston, TX
French academic drawing of a classical Roman. This handsome framed French drawing of a classical Roman figure was created by a talented artist ...
Category
1920s French Vintage Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Materials
Paper
Large Italian Grand Tour Style Mixed Marble Emperor Wall Plaque
Located in Bradenton, FL
Large heavy, approximately 300 pound, Italian Grand Tour Style Mixed Marble Round Emperor Wall Plaque. This plaque depicts the Roman emperor Vespasian. The mixed marble refers to a c...
Category
Late 20th Century Italian Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Materials
Marble
Micro Mosaic Tile Wall Plaque or Table Top of a Seated Woman in Wood Frame
Located in Plainview, NY
A palatial micro mosaic tile wall plaque of a seated woman holding a goblet in an antiquated wood frame. The wood frame is beautifully carved and the tile alignments of the tiles are...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Materials
Wood
$1,400 Sale Price
37% Off
Relief carved on white Carrara marble_Lupa capitolina -made in Italy
Located in Tarquinia, IT
Carved relief on white Carrara marble representing the Capitoline She-wolf suckling the twins Romulus and Remus.
Iconic image of the city of Rome, surmounting the inscription "SPQR,"...
Category
2010s Italian Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Materials
Marble
Copper Plate Engravings by Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Located in San Francisco, CA
G. B. Piranesi in his fifties was interested in archaeology and studied in Southern Italy where he produced drawings of Greek architecture.
Medium: Etching on laid paper.
Year: circa...
Category
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Materials
Glass, Giltwood, Paper
Roman Scene Frieze wall sculpture
Located in Pueblo, CO
Beautiful vintage Roman chariot scene - large plaster wall hanging Frieze, with chariot, horses, soldier, and angel relief with a peach color finish. ...
Category
1980s American Vintage Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Materials
Plaster
$895 Sale Price
25% Off
Copper Plate Engravings by Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Located in San Francisco, CA
G. B. Piranesi, in his fifties, was interested in archaeology and studied in Southern Italy where he produced drawings of Greek architecture.
Medium: Etching on laid paper.
Year: c...
Category
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Cristina Vergano Painting "The Best of All Possible Worlds" Oil on Wood, 1990
By Cristina Vergano
Located in New York, NY
Cristina Vergano painting "The Best of All Possible Worlds" oil on wood, 1990.
Dimensions: Diam: 42"
Cristina Vergano is known for her paintings that blend a classical style with...
Category
1990s Italian Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Materials
Wood, Paint
Pair of Watercolor Paintings in the style of Pompeian Wall or Ceiling Decoration
Located in Morristown, NJ
20th c., an unusual pair of watercolors in the style of Pompeian wall of ceiling decor. Both are on paper mounted on board in plexiglass shadow box frame...
Category
1980s Italian Vintage Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Materials
Plexiglass, Wood, Paint, Paper
Altorilievo battaglia romana in marmo bianco di Carrara
Located in Tarquinia, IT
Scultura, altorilievo, bassorilievo, busto romano antico, arte romana, arte classica, arte greca, busto, marmo bianco Carrara, scultura classica, altorilievo scolpito, scultura antic...
Category
1990s Italian Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Materials
Marble
Pope Francis and the New Vatican Draper, Robert Hardcover Book
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Pope Francis and the New Vatican Draper, Robert hardcover book
Title: Pope Francis and the New Vatican
Publisher: National Geographic
Publication Date: 2015
Binding: Hardcover
Book condition: Very good
Dust jacket condition: Dust jacket included
Synopsis:
National Geographic goes behind-the-scenes of the new papacy with unprecedented, exclusive access to Pope Francis. Embedded with the Pope inside the Vatican for 6 months, award-winning photographer David Yoder captures intimate moments in never-before-seen photographs presented here for the first time--including in the Sistine Chapel with the Pope alone on Christmas Day. These extraordinary images reveal the majesty and splendor of the Vatican alongside the humbleness of the man changing it--a compelling juxtaposition. The pontiff's public life and personal crusades are exposed as never before, as well as the inner workings of the Vatican--a uniquely powerful state.
Complementary essays by acclaimed journalist and author Robert Draper--drawn from interviews around the world with many who had never spoken publicly before--insightfully cover Pope Francis's personal story, his journey to the papacy, and the heart of his ministry. The book also features a timeline, maps, and Pope Francis's most inspiring words...
Category
2010s Italian Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Materials
Paper
Two Roman ‘Twelve Caesars’ paintings of Vespasian and Titus
Located in UTRECHT, UT
Italian school, after Peter Paul Rubens
Two portraits from the range of the ‘Twelve Caesars’. Three-quarter laureate portraits in oval. The name of the emperor below with Roman num...
Category
17th Century European Antique Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Materials
Wood
Gallery-Scale Framed Classical Horsemen Paneled Mural
Located in Dallas, TX
Make a dramatic statement with this stunning oversized artwork, featuring a striking black-on-ivory depiction of classical horsemen inspired by ancient friezes. Likely produced in th...
Category
1970s Vintage Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Materials
Textile, Wood
Sanguine on Paper by Jean Robert Ango (1710-1773), XVIIIth Century.
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Sanguine on Paper by Jean Robert Ango (1710-1773), XVIIIth Century.
Sanguine, drawing of a woman with a bouquet of flowers, on framed paper from the 18th century by Jean Robert Ango...
Category
18th Century French Antique Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Materials
Wood, Paper
Pen Drawing on Paper, "The Birth of Venus" Vincenzo Camuccini.
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Pen Drawing on Paper, "The Birth of Venus" Vincenzo Camuccini.
Pen drawing on paper, mounted on an album leaf, "The Birth of Venus" by Vincenzo Camuccini, late 18th century, early 1...
Category
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Materials
Paper
Pier Gustafson Original Art, Fountain Pen Series for Boston Pen Show
Located in North Miami, FL
This amazing whimsical painting of a discus thrower is a coin filler. The artist, Pier Gustafson, thought it would be fun to replace Fountain Pens in pl...
Category
1990s American Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic, Teak
Pier Gustafson Original Pen Series for Boston Pen Fair Wall Art
Located in North Miami, FL
This amazing whimsical painting of The Tomb represents the 3 Major Pen manufacturers. The artist, Pier Gustafson, thought it would be fun to replace fou...
Category
1990s American Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Materials
Teak, Acrylic, Canvas
Pair of Classical Roman Style Male Female Wall Sculptures
Located in Asheville, NC
Pair of male and female Classical Roman style sculptures made to look ancient, beautifully crafted in bas relief signed by artist.
Category
Late 20th Century Italian Classical Roman Wall Decorations
$12,000 Sale Price / set
20% Off
Carlo Uboldi, Marble Relief of Boys Playing with a Donkey, 19th Century
Located in London, by appointment only
A very fine mid 19th-century Italian carved Carrera statuary marble relief plaque of four boys playing with a donkey. Mounted on a bronze stand.
...
Category
19th Century Italian Antique Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Materials
Marble
four French prints, "Winged Cupids" Engraver Castel, publisher Jean - Paris
Located in Vicenza, IT
Elegant group of four stipple engravings (stipple) depicting winged cherubs in various sentimental and playful poses, suspended in the clouds. Each print bears a title in French that...
Category
1840s French Antique Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Materials
Paper
Pair of Italian Capodimonte Painted Porcelain Plaques
By Capodimonte
Located in London, GB
Each Capodimonte porcelain plaque in this pair portrays a famous episode from Roman history: The Rape of the Sabines. The scene on each pl...
Category
19th Century Italian Antique Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Materials
Lapis Lazuli, Ormolu, Bronze
19th C. Saints Paul and Thomas Oil on Panel Painting Pair
Located in New York, NY
A compelling pair of 19th century ecclesiastical oil paintings on panel, depicting Saint Paul and Saint Thomas, rendered in rich, devotional tones. These portraits capture the solemn...
Category
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Materials
Fruitwood, Giltwood, Paint
Large Victorian Framed Colour Print of the Daphnephoria
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
Large Victorian framed colour print of The Daphnephoria.
Large Victorian framed colour print of The Daphnephoria by Frederic Leighton (1830–1896), 1876, from Lady Lever Art Galler...
Category
19th Century Antique Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Materials
Paper
Handmade Artistic Marble Mosaic Rug Dimension and Colors Customizable
By sicis
Located in London, GB
Making artistic Mosaic, design of unparalleled beauty, inventing ' tromp l'oeil' thanks to the endless colors of the glass Mosaic collections, all this allowed us to produce and divu...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Materials
Marble
Decorative Art Tile, Roger Capron for Marazzi, Italy c. 1980
By Roger Capron
Located in St Ouen, FR
Unique decoration on earthenware made to order by the Artist for the famous Italian decorative ceramics firm Marazzi.
We offer a total of 3 tiles from this series of extremely rare u...
Category
1980s Italian Vintage Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Materials
Earthenware
Sepia on Board by Tomas Rut after Michelangelo
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Hand-painted studies by Tomasz Rut (Polish, 1961- ) based on Michelangelo's Ignudi, 20 nude males as seen on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome, mixed-media; sepia crayon and...
Category
Late 20th Century American Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Materials
Wood
Decorative Art Tile, Roger Capron for Marazzi, Italy c. 1980
By Roger Capron
Located in St Ouen, FR
Unique decoration on earthenware made to order by the Artist for the famous Italian decorative ceramics firm Marazzi.
We offer a total of 3 tiles from this series of extremely rare u...
Category
1980s Italian Vintage Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Materials
Earthenware
Decorative Art Tile, Roger Capron for Marazzi, Italy c. 1980
By Roger Capron
Located in St Ouen, FR
Unique decoration on earthenware made to order by the Artist for the famous Italian decorative ceramics firm Marazzi.
We offer a total of 3 tiles from this series of extremely rare u...
Category
1980s Italian Vintage Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Materials
Earthenware
"Photograph of a Grecian Bust" by John Dugdale
By John Dugdale
Located in NYC, NY
"Photograph of a Grecian bust" is a cyanotype print by John Dugdale, edition 2/6. The print is 16" x 20" matted and framed to 24" x 27.5".
Category
20th Century American Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Handmade Artistic Marble Mosaic Rug Dimension and Colors Customizable
By sicis
Located in London, GB
Making artistic Mosaic, design of unparalleled beauty, inventing ' tromp l'oeil' thanks to the endless colors of the glass Mosaic collections, all this allowed us to produce and divu...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Materials
Marble
Pier Gustafson Fountain Pen Series for Boston Pen Fair Wall Art
Located in North Miami, FL
This amazing whimsical painting of a Roman Soldier with a Fountain Pen head. The artist, Pier Gustafson, thought it would be fun to replace Fountain Pen...
Category
1990s American Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic, Teak
A Pair of German K.P.M Porcelain Plaques Depicting "Aligira and Tirian"
Located in Tarzana, CA
A Pair of antique German KPM porcelain plaques depicting "Aligira and Tirian"
Marked with 'K.P.M' Sceptre Mark with the letters 'SZ', with size marks 915-255, marked with Royal Vien...
Category
19th Century German Antique Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Materials
Porcelain
18th Century Italian Painting of a Soldier, Fragement from a Larger Painting
Located in Buchanan, MI
Very handsome Italian portrait of a soldier, in ebonized frame with silver detail. Measurements include frame.
Category
18th Century Italian Antique Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Materials
Canvas
Handmade Artistic Marble Mosaic Rug Dimension and Colors Customizable
By sicis
Located in London, GB
Making Artistic Mosaic, design of unparalleled beauty, inventing ' tromp l'oeil' thanks to the endless colors of the glass mosaic collections, all th...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Materials
Marble
Antique English Oil/Canvas of a Young Girl Holding a Rose After William Hammer
By Hammer
Located in Tarzana, CA
Antique English Oil/Canvas of a Young Girl holding a Rose after William Hammer, within a gilt frame, ready to be hung.
Category
19th Century English Antique Classical Roman Wall Decorations
Materials
Canvas
$3,835 Sale Price
35% Off
Classical Roman wall decorations for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Classical Roman wall decorations for sale on 1stDibs. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee.
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