Grand Tour triumphal arch, 19th century

Grand Tour triumphal arch, 19th century.
Patinated bronze.
Black marble pedestal with some light chipping.
Size: 26,5 x 25,5 x 17,5 cm.

This sculpture contextualized in the Grand Tour represents the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, one of the most famous monuments of the French capital and probably the most famous triumphal arch in the world. It was built between 1806 and 1836 by order of Napoleon Bonaparte to commemorate the victory at the Battle of Austerlitz.

The term "Grand Tour", which first appeared in Richard Lassels' "The Voyage d'Italie", was used to define the long journey through Europe, especially Italy, that young British aristocrats usually made from the seventeenth century onwards, but especially throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The purpose of the trip was for young people to become acquainted with the art and culture of France and Italy, to admire classical art at first hand, to learn or improve their knowledge of languages, and to establish contacts and relationships with the cultural and political elites of these countries. Travelers were often looking for pieces with which to start their own art collections, objects to take back to their places of residence as souvenirs. For this reason, workshops specialized in the replica of Roman pieces, both in bronze and marble, emerged, some of which acquired a great reputation.