ymph Egeria and King Numa — Renaissance Roman Portrait Print

Description

“Aegeria engraving Rome Italy .

Original period engraving from the 16th century depicting Ageria, also known as Egeria, a nymph of Roman mythology associated with King Numa. The print belongs to the series Regum Romanorum una cum quorundam eorum uxorum…, devoted to the early kings of Rome and some of their wives. The series is dated to Antwerp, circa 1550–1560.

The Latin inscription describes Egeria as Numa’s wife and says that she advised him to establish rites pleasing to the gods. It also recounts the poetic tradition that she was eventually transformed into a spring.

Her portrait is framed by horizontal lines, with the Latin inscription in a decorative cartouche below. The engraver of this particular plate has not been identified. The sheet shows patina and age-related marks, visible in the photographs.

Sheet dimensions: 16.7 × 11.7 cm.