Lucerne; Grand Tour; 19th century.

Lucerne; Grand Tour; 19th century.
Bronze.
Measurements. 29 x 32 x 32 cm.
The piece is decorated with two dolphins rising on their tails, forming a handle. On the base, there are lions' heads and a decoration of acanthus leaves. The design is inspired by classical antiquity, with dolphin and lion motifs that were common in Roman art.
It is a work born in the environment of the "Grand Tour", which appears for the first time in the work "The Voyage d'Italie" by Richard Lassels, was used to define the long journey through Europe, especially Italy, which was usually made by young British aristocrats from the seventeenth century, 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.