An ‘After the Antique’ Marble Portrait Bust of Cicero

Period: 1800-1850

Origin: Italy

Medium: Marble

Dimension: 62 cm (24³/₈ inches)

Provenance: SEE: For a marble bust of Homer, by Franco Franchi, see Finch and Co item no. 9, catalogue number 32, Summer 2019

Literature: Many of the grand tour collectors of ancient art in the late 18th and early 19th century preferred to show their interest in antiquity by displaying replicas of busts and statues rather than ancient originals. Fine copies were not only undamaged, but also demonstrated their knowledge of the antique marbles, and could easily be assimilated into rooms whose architectural detail was also directly copied from ancient originals.