Grand Tour Book Intaglio Cameo of Classical Subjects Pietro Paoletti (1801–1847)

Naples, Paris, and the Sommariva Collection
Rome, circa 1830–1845

A rare set of Grand Tour intaglio cabinet, comprising over forty finely cast plaster intaglios after celebrated works of classical antiquity. Executed by the esteemed Roman gilder and engraver Pietro Paoletti, this set represents an exceptional example of early 19th-century educational and artistic collecting culture.

Each intaglio is individually mounted in a gilt-rimmed surround and set within its original lined tray, with a facing manuscript index identifying the source collections: the Museo di Napoli, the Museo di Parigi (the Louvre), and the celebrated Museo Sommariva, known for its neoclassical holdings. Among the most striking pieces are the Medusa Rondanini, the Laocoön Group, mythological dancers and philosophers from Herculaneum wall paintings.

Bound in original marbled boards with leather spine and red gilt label, titled: PAOLETTI - Museo di Napoli, di Parigi, Sommariva. Increasingly scarce and were originally sold from Paoletti’s studio at Piazza di Spagna No. 49, Rome.