Name: Bronze Juno Ludovisi
SKU: MJGTA0084
Availability: InStock

Bronze Juno Ludovisi

£3,600

A large patinated electrotype bronze bust of Juno Ludovisi, England, circa 1870, after the Antique, attributed to Elkington & Co., finely cast and with a good patina.

The Juno Ludovisi is a colossal Roman marble head of the 1st century, in the collection of the Palazzo Altemps, Museo Nazionale Romano, Rome. A rare subject for this type and quality of production.

The electrotype process, dominated by Elkington & Co. from circa 1850, was a way of casting pure metal by electrolysis. The firm exhibited King of Gwent at The Great Exhibition of 1851 as a demonstration of the technique, and successfully competed for the contract for most of the 18th century statues for the chamber of the new House of Lords in the 1850s. The National Portrait Gallery commissioned a range of electrotypes from the firm between 1869 and 1881.

SKU: MJGTA0084 Category: Grand Tour

Dimensions: 58cm high, 33cm wide, 23cm deep

All of our items are also available through our Selling Antiques page.

Footnote

The Grand Tour of the late 17th, 18th and 19th centuries saw many upper class, wealthy and aristocratic gentlemen travel to Italy and Europe, particularly Rome, Venice and Florence, for pleasure, education and inspiration. This afforded them the opportunity to view important classical and Renaissance works of art and architecture.

The term ‘Grand Tour’ was coined by the Catholic priest and travel writer Richard Lassels (circa 1603-68), who used it in his influential guidebook The Voyage of Italy, published in 1670, to describe young lords travelling abroad to learn about art, architecture and antiquity.

Robert Adam wrote of Rome in 1755, ‘Rome is the most glorious place in the universal world. A grandeur and tranquillity reigns in it, everywhere noble and striking remains of antiquity appear in it, which are so many that one who has spent a dozen years in seeing is still surprised with something new…’

Many Grand tourists collected souvenirs in the form of bronze and marble models of sculpture and architecture, and formed collections of Grand Tour objects for their English country houses, most notably Chatsworth House.