Antique intaglio and cameo print from the Grand Tour of the 19th century
Two-tone sulfur print
True testimony of the Grand Tour carried out by the aristocrats in the 19th century
Antique bust / scholar profile
Description
Antique intaglio and cameo print from the Grand Tour of the 19th century
Two-tone sulfur print
A true testimony of the Grand Tour, this journey of aristocratic education undertaken by the enlightened European youth from the 18th century and the beginnig of the 19th century (travel which also gave rise to the word "tourist").
During their stay in Italy, these wealthy travelers acquired, according to their means, pieces of art and antiques or reproductions such as here these prints, medals and cameos in the antique style being very popular.
These prints were part of dactyliothèques: collections of prints that reproduce the most beautiful engraved gems of antiquity.
A print that is out of the ordinary because it must be a double sulfur flow from the era. The subject in relief is cast in natural sulfur, ivory/cream shade, then fused with a graphite-tinted sulfur background.
Sulfur was the material of choice for molders in Italy because, melting at low temperature, it infiltrated into the smallest details of the engraved ancient stone, freezing the sculpture with precision.
Intaglio or Cameo:
The Intaglio is an engraved fine stone. When plaster is poured inside, the material fills the cavity: the resulting print therefore emerges in relief. This is the case of these prints, which allow you to admire the original design of the gem.
The Cameo: A gem sculpted in relief. An impression taken from a cameo will, on the contrary, give a debossed print.
The prints were often lined with a thin strip of two-tone paper enhanced by a golden border on the edge. This banding was intended to protect by holding the edge of the plaster to prevent chipping.
The prints presented here no longer have this banding.
Subject: Antique bust / scholar profile
Size: 3.2cm
