Grand Tour Plaster Intaglios, circa 1820-1840

Grand Tour Plaster Intaglios. A collection of approximately 150 mounted miniature red plaster intaglios of classical and neo-classical subjects, Italian, circa 1820-1840, each intaglio edged in laminated paper gilt, manuscript number to each, various sizes, framed and glazed, frame size 47.5 x 67.5 cm

(Qty: 1)

Provenance: W.H. Hyett (born William Henry Adams), Painswick House, Gloucestershire. Hyett departed for the Continent in 1815, and was among the first civilians to visit the field of battle at Waterloo. After spending three months in Paris he travelled to Switzerland and Italy before travelling to Athens via Albania in 1819, before proceeding across 'the plains of Troy' to the Dardenelles where.he swam across the Hellespont from Sestos to Abydos (echoing the Greek mythological figure Leander) in under two hours, returning to England by way of Constantinople, Vienna and Geneva. He was made a Fellow of the Royal Society for contributing to agricultural science and served as MP for Stroud from 1832-34.