A Suite of Four Neo-Pompeian Watercolours (Italian, mid-19th c.)

A playful set of Grand Tour souvenirs, these watercolours are directly inspired by the mosaics and frescoes excavated at Pompeii in the 18th and 19th centuries. Subjects include the cat and quail from the House of the Faun, Nilotic scenes of crocodiles and ibis, a triton with hippocamps, and butterfly and cricket charioteers. Together they capture both the erudition and the humour of Roman art, qualities that delighted 19th-century travellers just as much as they do today.

• Medium: Watercolour on paper, each in a giltwood frame

• Subjects: Cat & Quail (House of the Faun); Nilotic fauna; Triton with hippocamps; Butterfly & cricket charioteers

• Bold black grounds and jewel-like colours, after Pompeian mosaics and frescoes

• mid-19th century Italy

Note: The works are preserved in matching gilt frames, wall-ready and sold only as a complete set. Comparable examples are scarce; their rarity and playful subject matter give them particular appeal to collectors and designers.

Provenance: Private UK collection, in the Grand Tour tradition.