Emperor Trajan crowned by Victory

An outline etching depicting Emperor Trajan crowned by Victory, which reproduces in reverse a scene from a bas-relief of the Arch of Constantine, Rome. This print is lettered with "360" at the upper right corner and the title in French, German and English at the bottom of the print. Signed by the printmaker with the attribution of the drawing to Raphael. This print was published as plate 360 in C.P. Landon, 'Vie et Œuvre complète de Raphaël Sanzio', 1803. See RCIN 854601 for an engraving of the same subject by Marcantonio Raimondi which could have been the model for this print. Annotated on the verso.

This scene is sculpted on one of the four reliefs coming from a larger frieze of Trajan's era (which was probably in the Forum of Trajan, Rome) representing the Dacian wars (two military campaigns fought by the Emperor in 101-102 and 105-106 AD). This section of the frieze was then incorporated in the Arch of Constantine, alongside reliefs from the age of Adrian and Marcus Aurelius. It represents the return of the Emperor to Rome, with Victory crowning him and an Amazon warrior, symbolising either Virtue or the Goddess Roma.