A pair of small Medici vases in polychrome porcelain and gold, decorated with large cartouches depicting Italian peasants on one side and Italian landscapes on the other. The neck, handles, and base are gilded. Each vase rests on a square plinth. Good overall condition with slight wear to the gilding. This pair of vases testifies to the 19th-century interest in Italy, its landscapes, monuments, and local people. Views of Italy circulated in the first half of the century in the form of daguerreotypes. From 1860 onward, tourism experienced extraordinary growth in the country. The bourgeoisie took over from the devotees of the "Grand Tour," a term evoking a kind of initiatory journey whose practice had spread from the end of the 16th century among the English and French ruling classes. In the 19th century, the allure of the Italian peninsula was renewed by the excavations of Pompeii and Herculaneum, fueled by the vogue for travel writing. In addition to landscapes, cityscapes, and monuments, artists and travelers were fascinated by the Italian people, particularly peasants, whom they depicted in traditional dress. These scenes of ethnographic interest were popularized by photography, as well as by the paintings of Ernest Hébert (1817-1908), and by the drawings and watercolors of John Ruskin (1819-1900). 19th century, circa 1840. Dimensions: W: 20cm, D: 20cm, H: 25.5cm.
- Reference :
- 1987
- Availability :
- Sold
- Width :
- 20 (cm)
- Height :
- 26 (cm)
- Depth :
- 20 (cm)
- Identify Exists:
- False
