Asclepius (recto); Study of a Male Youth Bearing Some Leaves (verso) Gm-34426801

Anton Raphael Mengs (German, 1728–1779) Anton Raphael Mengs made drawings on both sides of this sheet in preparation for one of his best known works, The Apotheosis of Hercules in the Palacio Real in Madrid. One figure each corresponds to a character on opposite sides of the fresco, a heavily populated scene that honors Hercules, who was regarded as the mythical founder of the Spanish monarchy.

On the recto of this sheet, the imposing figure of Asclepius--god of medicine and healing--stands in an exaggerated contraposto pose, one hand loosely resting against a staff. The voluminous fabric of his tunic ripples out from his waist and flows around his body to dramatic sculptural effect.

The figure on the verso side of the sheet depicts a classical figure holding leaves. White chalk highlights his backside. Both bodies are seen from below and demonstrate close attention to anatomy and the artist's mastery of foreshortening. Both drawings are also squared for transfer, indicating that Mengs intended to enlarge these versions for his fresco.

We make each of our prints one at a time—just for you.

Our Giclée Prints are printed here in Switzerland, one at a time, on heavy matte German art paper using the finest 12-color Canon archival inks. Some images are panoramic or tall and narrow—please select the 18" x 36" format for these.

Our Premium Museum Frame in Black is custom-made in Lugano, Switzerland, using natural wood moulding in a matte black satin finish. Each includes thick, hand-cut white mat boards and Plexiglass glazing. We tailor and print each image to fit its specific ratio and dimensions within our custom-made frames. The hand-cut mats are extra thick. Each bespoke museum frame ships in a custom box. Rush shipping is available for projects with tight deadlines—this is our specialty, and you will not be disappointed.

Our Antiqued Museum Frame in Gold is a high-quality frame made of solid wood, featuring traditional 19th-century cast plaster moulded details and closed corners. These frames are works of art in themselves, each with a unique patina. The hand-rubbed corners and gold finish evoke the elegance of times past. Your selected image is printed on German art paper with archival inks and mounted to quality art board within the frame. Plexiglass is added for print protection and the back is covered with Kraft paper and a hanger is supplied ready to hang..

Our Stretched Canvas prints are hand-stretched over 1.25" thick pine bars and printed with archival inks on a cotton-poly matte finish canvas. These are best-in-industry Swiss-quality canvases, hand-coated for UV protection.

Wall Murals are printed on a matte-finish, self-adhesive poly/fabric material that mounts easily and is ideal for smooth wall surfaces.

Our Note Cards are amazing—each is printed individually on 100% cotton art paper, comes with a kraft envelope, and is individually sleeved. (Image is scaled to fit the format.)

All of our images are digitized from the original negative or print and printed by our master printer to museum standards.

Questions? Please email service@archivea.com or call/text +41 79 265 8891.

Artwork in this collection is from The J. Paul Getty Museum. Reproduction rights are reserved by the copyright owner and used under license by Archivea GmbH.