I first came across the image of a woman seated in front of a pedestal with a small figure on it when I acquired several Wedgwood black basalt intaglios.  As usual, I began to look into the history of the piece.  My first finding was reported in the “Intaglio Search – Another one” blog entry.  Since then, I have discovered more.

Briefly, without the details of how I “stumbled” upon some of the information, this is what I found:

In his “TRAITÉ DES PIERRES GRAVÉES TOME SECOND” (“Treatise on Engraved Stones”, Volume II – Of the Royal Cabinet) [MyI: Louis XV was king at the time] published in 1750, Mariette addresses Plate No. 104, in part, as follows: “This Antique, one of the most important in the King’s Cabinet, having only given rise to conjectures until now, I can, with less temerity, propose my own.  … This engraved stone [MyI: an amethyst] can therefore represent Calpurnie, when Caesar went to the Senate, consulting his Genie on the anxieties and the presentiments which agitated him.”

The above entry about the intaglio intimates that there had been no accepted identification of the subject at the time of the writing (1750), however, Mariette, “…with less temerity…” puts forth his opinion that it is Calpurnie (Calphurnia), the wife of Ceasar.

In the Wedgwood & Bentley Catalogue of 1774 it is noted that Intaglio No. 178 of the subject image is entitled “Matrone Romaine” (“Roman Matron”).  There is no reference to Calphurnia.  [MyI: This is the intaglio of the seated woman which was the first one added to our collection and shown as the first image above.]

In Raspe’s “DESCRIPIVE CATALOGUE…OF CASTS…BY JAMES TASSIE“, vol I, published in 1791, page 625, he opines, “Said to be Calphurnia, the wife of Caesar, consulting the Penates on the fate of Caesar, who contrary to her advice and prepossessions went to the Senate the day he was assassinated.  Or rather a very fine woman in a veil sitting and meditating before a cippus with attention…”  There are six items with this subject (Nos. 11016 – 11021), the first, No. 11016, the amethyst referred to by Mariette as being in the collection of the King of France; the next being a cornelian; with the last two being sulfurs in the Stosch collection.  Clearly, the original amethyst had been copied. (The images at right are from the Beazley Archives.)

The last reference to this gem was found in “GEMS PRINCIPALLY FROM THE ANTIQUE” by Dagley in 1822.  Dagley entitles the piece, “A WOMAN CONTEMPLATING A HOUSEHOLD GOD.”  His opinion of the subject of the amethyst intaglio is, “THIS is among the most beautiful of the antique draped figures. The execution of the gem is remarkably fine.  It has been called ‘Calphurnia consulting the Penates on the fate of Csesar.’ It is more probably a symbol of that ‘Domestic Affection,’ which the ancients exalted, almost blamelessly, into an object of divine homage. –“

Just recently, Michelle Robson at Intagliosuk proffered the opinion that the subject was Juno with Mars as a baby. — See her comment below; she should know!

The popularity of this intaglio of a seated woman is not only attested to by the six entries in Raspe’s Tassie Catalogue, but also, recently, I found a couple of impressions for sale; a plaster cast attributed to Paoletti (on Etsy from Intagliosuk, which has been sold and taken off the website) and a wax seal from a Georgian era collection, on EBay also from Intagliosuk.

Based on all of the above, I’d say the identity of the seated woman will remain a matter for discussion for the foreseeable future, perhaps forever.

What do you think?