My research will investigate the history of collecting Baroque Neapolitan art in England between 1680 and 1800, when a considerable number of English artists and collectors came to Naples during the Grand Tour. The ties which have bound British artists, collectors and travelers to Italy and Italian art have been almost continuous since the mid-seventeenth century, intensifying over the following centuries, as the figure of the art dealer came to be defined in a modern sense.
Despite the high academic interest, as evidenced by ongoing research (e.g., Spinosa, 2021), there are no publications offering an overarching thesis supported by an illustrated database. My database will provide the first comprehensive view of Neapolitan paintings still admired today across England in private and public collections, focusing on English country-houses (1680-1820).