Portrait of an Unknown Gentleman
Cameo
1800-1839 (made)
1800-1839 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
An intaglio carving is cut into the surface of the material and a cameo is in relief. The art of gemstone carving was known in ancient Greece and Rome and revived in Renaissance Italy, when connoisseurs began to form rich collections of engraved stones. Shell cameos, which were cheaper and more easily worked, became fashionable in the 19th century. Many were bought by tourists as souvenirs.
It has not been possible to identify the sitters for this pair (the other being Mus. no. A.119-1978) of portraits to date. The pair are typical of portraits commissioned by Grand Tourists at this date from the cameo cutters of Rome. Dies (1796-1839) was one of the most successful cameo cutters of his day in Rome, with an annual turnover of about £5000.
It has not been possible to identify the sitters for this pair (the other being Mus. no. A.119-1978) of portraits to date. The pair are typical of portraits commissioned by Grand Tourists at this date from the cameo cutters of Rome. Dies (1796-1839) was one of the most successful cameo cutters of his day in Rome, with an annual turnover of about £5000.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Portrait of an Unknown Gentleman (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Bullmouth helmet shell |
| Brief description | Cameo, shell, head of an unknown man (of a pair), by Giovanni Dies, Italy (Rome), ca. 1800-39 |
| Physical description | Undraped bust of a man to left. He has cropped, curling hair falling from a side parting, and is clean-shaven with long curling side-whiskers. The portrait is cut from the creamy layer of the shell, in contrast to the highly-polished red-brown background layer. |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | Given by Professor J. Hull Grundy and Mrs. Ann Hull Grundy, in 1978. Historical significance: The pair are typical of portraits commissioned by Grand Tourists at this date from the cameo cutters of Rome. Dies (1796-1839) was one of the most successful cameo cutters of his day in Rome, with an annual turnover of about £5000. He was among a group of gem-engravers who supplied gems to Prince Stanislaus Poniatowski, the owner of the notorious series of fake antique gems. |
| Historical context | It has not been possible to identify the sitters for this pair (other being Mus. no. A.119-1978) of portraits to date. They were acquired in their original leather case (A.118:2-1978), which has a label on its base bearing the name of Giovanni Dies (and a third word, which is illegible). |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | An intaglio carving is cut into the surface of the material and a cameo is in relief. The art of gemstone carving was known in ancient Greece and Rome and revived in Renaissance Italy, when connoisseurs began to form rich collections of engraved stones. Shell cameos, which were cheaper and more easily worked, became fashionable in the 19th century. Many were bought by tourists as souvenirs. It has not been possible to identify the sitters for this pair (the other being Mus. no. A.119-1978) of portraits to date. The pair are typical of portraits commissioned by Grand Tourists at this date from the cameo cutters of Rome. Dies (1796-1839) was one of the most successful cameo cutters of his day in Rome, with an annual turnover of about £5000. |
| Associated object | A.119-1978 (Pair) |
| Bibliographic reference | Bury, Shirley, Jewellery 1789-1910: The International Era, Vol I, p. 220 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.118-1978 |
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| Record created | March 16, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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