What are Grand Tour intaglios?

Grand Tour intaglios are impression casts of classical gems, coins, and ancient sculptures collected by European aristocrats during eighteenth and nineteenth-century educational travels across Italy and Greece.

What materials were traditionally used to create Grand Tour intaglios?

They were typically fashioned from fine plaster of Paris or impression wax, often wrapped in paper collars with gilded edges and displayed in velvet-lined boxes or faux-book bindings.

How can you identify authentic nineteenth-century plaster intaglios?

Authentic period examples exhibit crisp classical detailing, natural age-related patina or subtle discolouration, hand-applied gilded paper rims, and period mounting techniques.

How do you style framed intaglios in a modern interior?

Arranging framed intaglios as a pair above a console table or integrating them into a gallery wall adds classical texture and architectural interest to contemporary schemes.

How should antique plaster intaglios be preserved?

They should be kept sealed behind glass to prevent dust accumulation, placed away from excessive moisture or direct sunlight, and cleaned using only a dry, soft cloth on the frame.

for sale €1,521 $1,651

£1,300

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Grand Tour Intaglios

Framed Plaster Cameos

19th Century Intaglios

Classical Relief Medallions

Giovanni Liberotti Intaglios

Id #SA1227596

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Antique Pair Box Framed Grand Tour Giovanni Liberotti Intaglios 19 Th C

Name: Antique Pair Box Framed Grand Tour Giovanni Liberotti Intaglios 19 Th C
Brand: Antique
SKU: SA1227596
Price: 1300 GBP
Availability: InStock

19th century

For Sale by Regent Antiques

Description

An elegant pair of giltwood frames enclosing twenty nine Grand Tour Giovanni Liberotti intaglios dating from the early 19th Century.

The various shaped plaster intaglios feature subjects predominantly from Classical Antiquity and portrait busts, each with black-paper border with hand-written red ink inventory number.

The intaglios are beautifully mounted on a plush brown ground in rectangular glazed and giltwood box frames.

Add a beautiful classical element to your home with this delightful framed collection.

Condition:

In excellent condition, please see photos for confirmation.

Dimensions in cm:

Height 50 cm x Width 37 cm x Depth 3.5 cm - Each

Dimensions in inches:

Height 1 foot, 8 inches x Width 1 foot, 3 inches x Depth 1 inch - Each

Giovanni Liberotti miniature plaster relief impressions of masterpieces of European art. This collection is an example of the type of souvenirs prized by the travelers of the Grand Tour. It is a small part of the museum`s gem cast collection, which is very rich in content and versatile in appearance. Gem casts were used as valuable illustrative materials in lectures.

The Grand Tour was the traditional trip of Europe undertaken by mainly upper-class European young men of means. The custom flourished from about 1660 until the advent of large-scale rail transit in the 1840s, and was associated with a standard itinerary.

It served as an educational rite of passage. Though primarily associated with the British nobility and wealthy landed gentry, similar trips were made by wealthy young men of Protestant Northern European nations on the Continent, and from the second half of the 18th century some South American, U.S., and other overseas youth joined in. The tradition was extended to include more of the middle class after rail and steamship travel made the journey less of a burden.

The primary value of the Grand Tour, it was believed, lay in the exposure both to the cultural legacy of classical antiquity and the Renaissance, and to the aristocratic and fashionably polite society of the European continent. In addition, it provided the only opportunity to view specific works of art, and possibly the only chance to hear certain music. A grand tour could last from several months to several years. It was commonly undertaken in the company of a knowledgeable guide or tutor.

The Grand Tour not only provided a liberal education but allowed those who could afford it the opportunity to buy things otherwise unavailable at home, and it thus increased participants' prestige and standing. Grand Tourists would return with crates of art, books, pictures, sculpture, and items of culture, which would be displayed in libraries, cabinets, gardens, and drawing rooms, as well as the galleries built purposely for their display; The Grand Tour became a symbol of wealth and freedom.

Our reference: A5353a

Physical Dimensions

Height

50cm (19.69")

Width

37cm (14.57")

Depth

3.5cm (1.38")

Declaration

Regent Antiques has dated this Grand Tour Plaster Intaglios to the 19th Century.

Reference Numbers

Sellingantiques Reference

SA1227596

Dealers Internal Reference

A5353a

Description

An elegant pair of giltwood frames enclosing twenty nine Grand Tour Giovanni Liberotti intaglios dating from the early 19th Century.

“

The various shaped plaster intaglios feature subjects predominantly from Classical Antiquity and portrait busts, each with black-paper border with hand-written red ink inventory number.

Regent Antiques

fig 1. A pair of dark velvet-lined gilt frames containing arrangements of white plaster classical intaglio cameos. — fig 1. Antique Pair Box Framed Grand Tour Giovanni Liberotti Intaglios 19 Th C

The intaglios are beautifully mounted on a plush brown ground in rectangular glazed and giltwood box frames.

Add a beautiful classical element to your home with this delightful framed collection.

Condition:

fig 2. A pair of dark velvet-lined gilt frames containing arrangements of white plaster classical intaglio cameos. — fig 2. Antique Pair Box Framed Grand Tour Giovanni Liberotti Intaglios 19 Th C

In excellent condition, please see photos for confirmation.

Dimensions in cm:

Height 50 cm x Width 37 cm x Depth 3.5 cm - Each

Dimensions in inches:

Height 1 foot, 8 inches x Width 1 foot, 3 inches x Depth 1 inch - Each

fig 3. A pair of dark velvet-lined gilt frames containing arrangements of white plaster classical intaglio cameos. — fig 3. Antique Pair Box Framed Grand Tour Giovanni Liberotti Intaglios 19 Th C

Giovanni Liberotti miniature plaster relief impressions of masterpieces of European art. This collection is an example of the type of souvenirs prized by the travelers of the Grand Tour. It is a small part of the museum`s gem cast collection, which is very rich in content and versatile in appearance. Gem casts were used as valuable illustrative materials in lectures.

fig 4. A pair of dark velvet-lined gilt frames containing arrangements of white plaster classical intaglio cameos. — fig 4. Antique Pair Box Framed Grand Tour Giovanni Liberotti Intaglios 19 Th C

The Grand Tour was the traditional trip of Europe undertaken by mainly upper-class European young men of means. The custom flourished from about 1660 until the advent of large-scale rail transit in the 1840s, and was associated with a standard itinerary.

fig 5. A pair of dark velvet-lined gilt frames containing arrangements of white plaster classical intaglio cameos. — fig 5. Antique Pair Box Framed Grand Tour Giovanni Liberotti Intaglios 19 Th C

It served as an educational rite of passage. Though primarily associated with the British nobility and wealthy landed gentry, similar trips were made by wealthy young men of Protestant Northern European nations on the Continent, and from the second half of the 18th century some South American, U.S., and other overseas youth joined in. The tradition was extended to include more of the middle class after rail and steamship travel made the journey less of a burden.

fig 6. A pair of dark velvet-lined gilt frames containing arrangements of white plaster classical intaglio cameos. — fig 6. Antique Pair Box Framed Grand Tour Giovanni Liberotti Intaglios 19 Th C

The primary value of the Grand Tour, it was believed, lay in the exposure both to the cultural legacy of classical antiquity and the Renaissance, and to the aristocratic and fashionably polite society of the European continent. In addition, it provided the only opportunity to view specific works of art, and possibly the only chance to hear certain music. A grand tour could last from several months to several years. It was commonly undertaken in the company of a knowledgeable guide or tutor.

fig 7. A pair of dark velvet-lined gilt frames containing arrangements of white plaster classical intaglio cameos. — fig 7. Antique Pair Box Framed Grand Tour Giovanni Liberotti Intaglios 19 Th C

The Grand Tour not only provided a liberal education but allowed those who could afford it the opportunity to buy things otherwise unavailable at home, and it thus increased participants' prestige and standing. Grand Tourists would return with crates of art, books, pictures, sculpture, and items of culture, which would be displayed in libraries, cabinets, gardens, and drawing rooms, as well as the galleries built purposely for their display; The Grand Tour became a symbol of wealth and freedom.

Our reference: A5353a