Jean-François Janinet’s print depicts the Medici Palace in Rome, where young men are training their eye and practicing their draftsmanship by copying sculpture and architectural details. The Medici Palace (which became the seat of the French Academy in Rome in 1804), housed a renowned collection of sculpture that, in contrast to other Roman collections, was relatively open and accessible. Many art students passed through its gates, as did many devoted amateurs. In the eighteenth century, the British upper classes traveled to the European continent—particularly to Italy and Rome—in a ritual known as the Grand Tour. They studied the works of the ancients in order to expand their understanding of art, refine their taste, and prepare themselves for participation in elite society. They also brought back many copies (painted, sculpted, and printed) of art works they encountered on their travels, thereby furthering the dominance of the classical tradition.