Italian school;

Italian school; "Grand Tour", 19th century.
"Satyr with a boot".
Bronze.
Measures: 34 x 23 x 11 cm.
Round sculpture made of bronze that represents the image of a satyr, holding a wineskin on his shoulder. The piece stands out for its dynamism and expressiveness resulting from the posture of the protagonist. The piece faithfully follows the models of the figure of "Satyr with a wineskin", dated to the 1st century BC, which was found in one of the gardens of the centenary house. Nicknamed for its discovery on the 18th anniversary of the eruption of the Pompeii volcano, the centenary house is one of the largest homes ever found in the city, inside which there are numerous frescoes.
The term 'Grand Tour', which first appeared in Richard Lassels' 'Voyage d'Italie', was 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 journey was for young people to become acquainted with the art and culture of mainly 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. Travellers 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 specialising in the replication of Roman pieces, both in bronze and marble, sprang up, some of which acquired a great reputation.