Tra moda antiquaria e gusto neoclassico: modelli, forme e stili dei camini prodotti a Roma nel Settecento

Symbols of prestige and refinement, Roman chimneypieces from the eighteenth cen- tury represent a crucial yet underexplored aspect of artistic production, one which perfectly encapsulate the renewed interest in antiquity. The lack of historical records on ancient chimneypieces allowed artists, to experiment with new styles by blending authentic fragments with neoclassical decorations, as evidenced by the 1769 treatise ‘Diverse Maniere d’adornare i cammini’ by Giovan Battista Piranesi. By examining a variety of examples, most notably the chimneypieces of the Galleria Borghese, this study examines production contexts, aesthetic criteria, and market dynamics of these artifacts, highlighting how they contributed to the diffusion of the taste for antiquity across Europe.