Divers Trophées (Weapon Trophies after the Façade of Palazzo Milesi in Rome)

Art Historical Context

This engraving, created in 1651 by René Lochon and Charles Errard le fils after designs by Polidoro da Caravaggio, reproduces the striking weapon trophies that once adorned the façade of Palazzo Milesi in Rome. Polidoro, a follower of Raphael active in the early sixteenth century, specialized in dramatic grisaille frescoes that evoked ancient Roman reliefs. His inventive arrangements of armor, standards, and captured weaponry celebrated military glory while serving as elegant architectural ornament. By the mid-seventeenth century, when this print was made, such motifs had become prized models for European decorators and architects. The engraving medium allowed these Roman inventions to circulate widely, influencing French and Northern European ornament books. Rendered with crisp lines and careful attention to overlapping forms, the plate captures both the sculptural depth of the original frescoes and the symbolic power of eagles and trophies—universal emblems of victory and authority. Today the sheet offers visitors a vivid glimpse into the Renaissance fascination with classical antiquity and the vital role prints played in preserving and transmitting artistic ideas across centuries.

About the Artist

René Lochon|Charles Errard le fils|Polidoro da Caravaggio (French|French|Italian) · 1636 |1606 |1494 –1675 |1689 |1548

French, Boissy 1636–1675 Paris|French, Nantes ca.1606/09–1689 Rome|Italian, Caravaggio ca. 1499–ca. 1543 Messina