Small Parlor Italian Monument

In the days before the access to information and imagery was available on most people’s desktops, the only way to learn about classical art and architecture was to visit. A so-called “Grand Tour” was an important part of any aspiring artist’s or architect’s education. Boston architect Robert Swain Peabody (1845-1917) recorded this image during a trip to Italy when he was a student at the École des Beaux Arts in 1868-69.