The late eighteenth century in Europe witnessed
a revival of interest in the art, architecture and
literature of antiquity. It became customary for
the sons of wealthy families to embark upon a
‘Grand Tour’ as part of their education and Italy
was the principle destination. The ruins of Rome
and the rediscovery of sites such as Pompeii and
Herculaneum helped to stimulate the market for
antiquities. The purchase of souvenirs abroad,
whether genuine or of recent manufacture,
helped to spread this fashion for the antique.
James Tassie (1735-1799) was one of a number
of highly skilled artists who capitalised on this
demand. Born in Scotland he started his career
as a stonemason before returning to study
sculpture and modelling at the Glasgow
Academy. Having travelled to Dublin in Ireland to
seek commissions, he made the acquaintance of
an amateur gem engraver, Dr Quinn. Together
the two men developed a new type of white
enamel that was ideally suited to portrait
medallions. However it was after relocating to
London in 1766 that Tassie’s career as a gem
engraver really took off. He soon acquired an
international reputation, and received a
commission for 15,000 pieces from Catherine
the Great, Empress of Russia. Many prestigious
European collections were made accessible to
him for the purposes of study. His knowledge of
antique designs was highly esteemed and he was
commissioned to provide designs for Josiah
Wedgwood. In fact his gems and medallions
proved so popular that the business continued to
flourish in the early nineteenth century under the
direction of his nephew William Tassie.
This oval intaglio depicts a mythological scene in
great detail. In the centre a king or deity is
seated on a throne and looks up towards two
birds flying overhead. Two standing figures,
possibly messengers, approach the figure from
the right. A further character, on a smaller scale,
stands behind the throne and may represent an
attendant although his pose is slightly defiant for
this role. Beneath this scene is an inscription that
has yet to be deciphered. The complexity of the
design ranks this amongst Tassie’s most
ambitious works in miniature. (AM)
