The Lure of the Eternal City in 18th Century Britain
Four exceptional objects trace Britain’s enduring fascination with Rome in the eighteenth century, a city that served as a repository of antiquities and a crucible of artistic experimentation. At the heart of the exhibition lies a remarkable discovery: a previously unpublished vase originally created for Emperor Nero’s Domus Transitoria (37–68 AD) on the Palatine Hill, the precursor to his legendary Domus Aurea.
Unearthed in 1721 and later recorded in the 1801 sale catalogue of the Earls of Bessborough at Parkstead House, the vase was acquired by Frederick Howard (1748–1825), 5th Earl of Carlisle, and remained at Castle Howard until its sale to an important American collection in 2015.
A highlight of the display will be a monumental marble bust of the Hope Roma by the Neoclassical sculptor Vincenzo Pacetti (1746-1820). The bust represents the personification of the city of Rome. It was created after an antique original in the Borghese collection (now at the Louvre) and acquired in Rome by the celebrated collector and connoisseur Thomas Hope (1769- 1831). Hope brought the monumental sculpture to London, where he exhibited in his Sculpture Gallery at 10 Duchess Street—one of the first ever art galleries open to the public in Europe. Long considered lost, it was rediscovered only in 2016.
