“Italian Sketches, Oct, Nov and Dec 1894” Grand Tour Architectural Sketchbook

“Italian Sketches, Oct, Nov and December 1894” – Grand Tour Architectural Sketchbook
Italy and France, 1894
Fully bound in leather
Height 31 cm , width 26 cm, depth 3 cm
 
Crafted in 1894, this elegant late-19th-century sketchbook titled Italian Sketches, Oct, Nov and December is a finely bound artistic record of travel through Italy. Executed in full leather with gilt-stamped lettering to the cover, it reflects the high standards of Victorian bookbinding. The binding was carried out by C. Chappell, adding further craftsmanship and historical interest to the volume.
 
Inside, the sketchbook contains a rich collection of architectural drawings, precise pencil studies, and delicate watercolours. These works demonstrate the disciplined observational approach typical of late-19th-century architectural training, combining accurate linework with subtle washes to articulate structure, depth, and decorative detail. The subjects reflect the tradition of the Grand Tour, during which artists, architects, and educated travellers travelled through Italy to study its historic architecture.
 
The sketchbook includes drawings and watercolours of:
Page 1: Baptismal Font of the Siena Baptistry, Siena, Tuscany, Italy.
 
Page 2: Upper Part of the Façade of St Benigne Cathedral in Dijon, Burgundy, France.
 
Page 3: Outline of Upper Part of Duomo Milan as seen from window of Hotel Biscione, Milan, Lombardy, Italy.
 
Page 4: The Basilica of Santa Maria delle Grazie and Convent in Milan, Lombardy, Italy.
 
Page 5: Façade of Basilica of St Zeno, Verona, Veneto, Italy.
 
Page 6: Cupola of the Monastery in Certosa, Pavia, Itay.
 
Page 7: Architectural sketches of ‘Chapel Pellegrini’ of St Michele in Bernardino in Verona, Veneto, Italy
 
Page 8: Details of a pair of iron gates and floor in marble of ‘Chapel Pellegrini’ of St Michele in Bernardino in Verona, Veneto, Italy.
 
Page 9: Details of architecural features including cornice, architrave, columns and pilasters from ‘Chapel Pellegrini’ of St Michele in Bernardino in Verona, Veneto, Italy.
 
Page 10: Architectural shield detail from Museo Correr, Venice, Veneto, Italy.
 
Page 11: Details of Frieze and Cap Ornament of ‘Cortile’ of Palazzo Ducale, Venice, Veneto, Italy.
 
Page 12: Detail of 15th Century Mantelpiece by Fratelli Lombardi in Palazzo Ducale, Venice, Veneto, Italy.
 
Page 13: Mantelpiece details by Fratelli Lombardi in Palazzo Ducale, Venice, Veneto, Italy.
 
Page 14: Details of the ornament in angle of shield of Palazzo Ducale, Venice, Veneto, Italy.
 
Page 15: Details of grape press of Palazzo Ducale, Venice, Veneto, Italy.
 
Page 16: Details of Tombs in Frari Church in Venice, Veneto, Italy.
 
Page 17: Ancient Marble Candelabra of Palazzo Ducale, Venice, Veneto, Italy.
 
Page 18: Details of 16th Century Entrance Door of the Church of Zattere in Venice, Veneto, Italy.
 
Page 19: Loggia del Consiglio by Biagio Ferrarese, Piazza delle Erbe in Padua, Veneto, Italy.
 
Page 20: Architectural details of Via Val d’Aposa in Bologna, Emila Romagna, Italy.
 
Page 21: Palazzo Bevilacqua courtyard in Bologna, Emilia Romagna, Italy.
 
Page 22: Column in Piazza Galileo, said to be the Madonna del Rosario by Giulio Cesare Conventi, in Bologna, Emilia Romagna, Italy.
 
Page 23: Stone Newel to Entrance Staircase in courtyard of the National Museum of Bargello in Florence, Tuscany, Italy.
 
Page 24: Photograph of fireplace in Palazzo Ducale, Venice, Veneto, Italy.
 
Page 25: Mantelpiece in Museo Nazionale del Bargello in Florence, Tuscany, Italy.
 
Page 26: Dog irons to Mantelpiece in Museo Nazionale del Bargello in Florence, Tuscany, Italy.
 
Page 27: Details of cabinet 1/4 full size, school of D’Alvernia, Museo Nazionale del Bargello in Florence, Tuscany, Italy.
 
Page 28: Choir stalls, 1493, of Museo Nazionale del Bargello in Florence, Tuscany, Italy.
 
Page 29: Choir stalls (1/4 full size details) of Museo Nazionale del Bargello in Florence, Tuscany, Italy.
 
Page 30: Tarned bronze candelabra in Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence, Tuscany, Italy.
 
Page 31: Architectural details of Basilica of Santa Maria Novella in Florence, Tuscany, Italy.
 
Page 32: Details of screen in cloisters of Basilica of Santo Spirito in Florence, Tuscany, Italy.
 
Page 33: Architectural details of Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence, Tuscany, Italy.
 
Page 34: Pazzi Chapel in Florence, Tuscany, Italy.
 
Page 35: Architectural details, probably of Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence, Tuscany, Italy.
 
Rich in artistic and historical significance, this sketchbook offers a compelling insight into the working practice of a late-Victorian artist or architect. Both a travel document and a work of art, it stands as a rare surviving testament to the visual culture of the Grand Tour.