AFTER THE ANTIQUE, LATE 19TH CENTURY

The Galata Morente, or Dying Gaul displayed at the Musei Capitolini, itself a Roman copy of the Hellenistic original, is one of the most celebrated sculptures of antiquity. A powerful portrayal of heroic nudity, it was widely admired by the 18th century Grand Tourists who commissioned bronzes reductions as momentos of their travels and trophies of their fine tastes. Such reductions became objet de vertu for the courts and mansions of Europe and were popularly reproduced throughout the 19th century.