In 1816, Italian artist Mauro Gandolfi arrived in New York, eager to establish himself in America & to witness the workings of the young nation`s democratic society. Perpetually amazed & astonished by his experiences, Gandolfi kept extensive notes on the customs, people & quirks of behaviour he observed in New York & Philadelphia. His vivid account of his stay in the United States is published here, accompanied by an introduction & numerous illustrations that include examples of Gandolfi`s own work & contemporary views of the sites he describes. As an artist, Gandolfi deplores the American prohibition against studying or depicting the nude figure. As a former revolutionary in his own country, he is enraptured to discover the many manifestations of liberty, fraternity & equality in this democratic l&. Throughout his writings, the visiting European provides an account of society, culture & the art scene of the early-19th-century United States.