Neoclassical Temple In Fine Colored Marbles, Second Half Of The 19th Century

Neoclassical temple in fine colored marbles, second half of the 19th century.

Italian manufacture, second half of the 19th century.
White statuary marble, French red marble, and antique yellow marble.
Dimensions: h. 42 x d. 40 cm.

The elegant temple rests on a stepped pedestal in white statuary marble. The lower section, decorated with bands of French red marble, forms the base of the temple upon which the columns rest. It features a geometric decoration in French red marble and antique yellow marble, creating a striking visual contrast with the white statuary marble. The eight columns feature alternating colors of the two marbles, with the body in red marble and the capital and base in yellow marble. The dome is in white marble, embellished with a band underneath and a red marble topper.
The small temple is one of many objects inspired by travel souvenirs created during the 18th-century Grand Tour, a tour that took young European aristocrats on a journey to discover key sites of art, architecture, and literature.
Among these objects, numerous marble architectural models reproduced ancient buildings or their ruins; in this case, the model chosen is a circular temple with eight columns, in neoclassical style.

Grand Tour objects created a vast trade among collectors and continued to be produced throughout the 19th century.