Italian Grand Tour patinated bronze of a Faun with a wineskin; cast by Sabatino de Angelis, late 19th century

Italian Grand Tour patinated bronze of a Faun with a wineskin, after the antique.
Signed by the caster Sabatino, Napoli, 1884.
Measurements: 56 x 44 x 22 cm.
The drunken faun is depicted with a intense look of concentration as he attemps to fill a wine cup from the wineskin slung over his arm.
Sabatino de Angelis (Italy, 1838-1915) founded his publishing house of bronzes in 1840 in Napoli. The company was renowned for their cast bronzes using the lost wax process (exactly as the original Roman statues would have been) and were given exclusivity to cast direct from sculptures in the National Archeological Museum of Naples and he also collaborated for a long time with the Chiurazzi house for which he produced many models.
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, which was usually 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.

COMMENTS

In good condition due to age.