The present table top with views of Roman monuments and ruins illustrates the fashion spearheaded by Grand Tourists of the 19^th century who wished to bring back souvenirs, treasured tokens of their Roman pilgrimage which were imbued with the grandeur of Rome. The fine quality of this top joining in harmony two distinctively Roman mediums (micromosaic and specimen marbles) would have surely appealed to the aristocrats of the time and still does to collectors today.

The most popular subject matters in micromosaics were certainly Ancient Roman monuments. Here, clockwise around the table border starting at noon are views of the Temple of Saturn, the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina, the Temple of the Sibyl at Tivoli, the Arch of Septimius Severus, the Lugano Bridge, the Forum of Augustus, the Arch of Gallienus, Castello San'Angelo, The Pantheon, the Trevi fountain, the Roman Forum, the Capitoline Hill, the Temple of Hercules at Cori, the Fontana dell'Acqua Paola in Montorio, the Arch of Titus, the Quirinal Palace and Square, Tivoli on the Tiburtine Hills, the Temple of Vesta, the Tomb of Cecilia Metella, the Temple of Minerva Medica, the Colosseum, the Salario bridge, the Arch of Janus Quadrifrons, and the Arch of Constantine.

Scenes like these were usually taken from engravings and often contained anachronisms. For example, the Pantheon is depicted without its bell towers which were removed in 1882 – however, these bell towers were only added in the 17^th century and were therefore not part of the monument during the Antiquity hence why the mosaicist probably did not choose to depict them.

The central roundel depicts St. Peter's Square and St. Peter’s Basilica redesigned by Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680) from 1656 to 1667, under the direction of Pope Alexander VII, designed "so that the greatest number of people could see the Pope give his blessing, either from the middle of the façade of the church or from a window in the Vatican Palace". The two fountains flanking it are by Carlo Maderno (1566-1629). The absence of the four large lamps added around the obelisk in 1852 suggest this top was most likely executed before this date.

Related examples with a border of Roman views include a table circa 1845 by Michelangelo Barberi (1787-1867) in the Gilbert Collection illustrated, J.H. Gabriel, The Gilbert Collection, Micromosaics, London, 2000, p. 85, no. 31 and another table illustrated J.H. Gabriel, op. cit., pp. 130-131, no. 69.

Another comparable table top was offered at Sotheby’s, London, 6 December 2011, lot 142.

The Grand Tour

The Grand Tour was seen as a rite of passage in the education of those from the North European upper class and nobility in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Spearheading the concept of tourism, Grand Tours were perceived as 'circular' and were punctuated by compulsory stops like Rome and Florence before returning to the place of departure. The trip could last anywhere from a few months to several years. The goal of each traveller on the Grand Tour was to soak in the culture of these cities and expose oneself to as much art and music as possible. It became incredibly fashionable to pick up mementos or souvenirs from these lengthy trips. For British Grand Tourists, these souvenirs would be shipped back to Britain where they would furnish aristocratic homes, serving as symbols of their owner's worldliness and appreciation for ancient culture.

The depiction of the ruins of the Roman Forum, Roman monuments and typical Roman architectural forms would become emblematic mementos of the Grand Tourists’ passage via the Eternal City.