Pair of sculptures from the Grand Tour, 19th century.

Pair of sculptures from the Grand Tour, 19th century.
"Emperor of Prima Porta" and "Faustina Livia or Modesty/Castity".
Bronze. Marble pedestals.
It presents small restorations in the marble.
Measurements: 50 x 14 cm.

This pair of sculptures was made during the Grand Tour. On one side it represents the Augustus Prima Porta, a statue of the emperor Augustus that owes its name to the place where it was discovered, in the Roman suburb of Prima Porta. It is a magnificent marble sculpture that portrays the first emperor of Rome idealized, in an almost divine attitude. The original is on display today in the Braccio Nuovo of the Vatican Museums; on the other hand, the sculpture of Faustina Livia (also called Modesty or Chastity) was discovered in the grounds of Villa Mattei in Rome around 1575 and is now also preserved in the Vatican Museums.
The term "Grand Tour", which first appeared in Richard Lassels' "Le Voyage d'Italie", was used to define the long journey through Europe, especially Italy, that young British aristocrats used to undertake from the 17th century onwards, but especially throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. The aim of the trip was for the young men to get to know the art and culture of France and Italy mainly, to admire classical art at first hand, to learn or improve their language skills, and to establish contacts and relationships with the cultural and political elites of these countries. Often, travelers were 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 replicating Roman pieces, both in bronze and marble, sprang up, some of which acquired a great reputation.