A fine Italian Neoclassical Grand Tour ormolu-mounted specimen marble model of a triumphal arch, in the manner of the Valadier workshop Rome, late 18th century

The Collection of Gianni Versace, sold Sotheby's New York, April 5-7, 2001, lot 373

Ormolu with minor rubbing, traces of oxidation and surface dirt. Marble with scattered small chips, losses, abrasions, scratches and scuffs. Lion figure probably associated and with minor glue residue on mearble nearby. In good condition.
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Architectural models executed in a variety of fine marbles and stones and mounted with ormolu were among the most popular items among Grand Tour travellers in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Such souvenirs were either sold on their own, or in the case of very wealthy collectors, as part of large and elaborate surtouts de table, such as the one offered Sotheby's London, July 6, 2011, lot 28. Although the name of the Valadiers, the celebrated Roman silversmiths and bronzemakers, Luigi (1726-1785) and Giuseppe (1762-1839) is very often linked to the production of these pieces, other bronzemakers, such as Giacomo Raffaelli (1753-1836) and Francesco Righetti (1738-1819) also conceived these ornaments. Even though this triumphal arch cannot be assigned to one particular maker, the very high quality of craftsmanship, the use of the finest stones and the delicate execution of the ormolu mounts suggest a highly trained and well established Roman master. For comparable omrolu-mounted models of arches, see Alvar González-Palacios, Il Tempio del Gusto, Vol. II, Milan, 1984, pp., 134-135, figs. 283-297.