Italian school of the Grand Tour, 19th century

Italian School of the Grand Tour, 19th century.
"Narcissus".
Bronze.
Measurements: 52,5 x 25 x 18 cm; 24 cm (diameter); 5 cm (high pedestal).

This sculpture of Narcissus, souvenir of the Grand Tour, is based on the Roman original found in 1862 in a house in Pompeii. The secretary of the Museo Nazionale di Napoli, Luigi Conforti, described Narcissus as "the most beautiful bronze ever discovered in Pompeii".

The term "Grand Tour", which first appeared in Richard Lassels' "The Voyage d'Italie", was the term used to define the long journey through Europe, especially Italy, which was regularly undertaken by young British aristocrats from the 17th century onwards, but especially throughout the 18th and 19th 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.