1766 Large Antique engraving GREEK ROMAN VASE by HAMILTON (AN-23)

About this Item

1766 - Outstanding large antique engraving published for ANTIQUITIES ETRUSQUES, GRECQUES ET ROMAINES. TREES DY CABINET DE M.HAMILTON, ENVOYE EXTRAORDINAIRE DE.S.M. BRITANNIQUE EN COURT DE NAPLES. Overall size approx 32cm x 45cm including margins. Condition excellent with later hand colour.Hamiltons collection of ancient vases, assembled by him after his appointment to the court of Naples in 1764, was first illustrated, described, and published between 1776 and 1777. Pierre Francois Hugues, an authority on ancient art, had introduced Hamilton to the Porcinari family, the owners of a large collection of ancient classical vases which Hamilton bought and enlarged, and then sold to the British Museum in 1772. Before their shipment of England, all the objects were listed, drawn and described under the supervision of the brilliant but unscrupulous baron. The work was finely illustrated with hand-colored engraved plates whose influence on neo-classical design and taste was to be profound (Dictionary of Art). One of the explicit aims of the work was to discover the proportions of ancient vases in order to aid in their true reproduction, and indeed its influence on Josiah Wedgewood was significant. Within barely a year of the publication of the first volume Josiah Wedgwood had opened his pottery works, Etruria, in Staffordshire, and thrown six black basalt first day vases based on vases in Hamiltons publication. Countless other subsequent Wedgwood articles and designs were inspired by the work. When Hamilton and his wife returned to London on leave in August 1771, he negotiated for his collection of vases to be bought for the nation. According to tradition, this first collection was purchased for the British Museum in 1772, for andpound;8400, out of funds authorized by act of parliament. There seems to be no evidence for this sale, although the story was known to Horace Walpole, who refers to it in one of his books of materials but mentions the sum of andpound;8000. In 1772 Hamilton was made a knight of the Bath and elected a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries; he and his wife arrived back in Naples early in 1773, after travelling via Vienna, Venice, Florence, and Rome. Believing that he had exhausted the supply of fine Greek vases, Hamilton did not resume collecting until 1789, when he began amassing what would become his second collection of vases. This collection was fully described in Collection of Engravings from Ancient Vases (4 vols., 1791-95), edited with illustrations by Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein, director of the Naples art academy. Far less expensive than the Antiquitandeacute;s, the volumes of these vase engravings, which were soon republished in various affordable editions, had considerable influence on public taste and on artists such as John Flaxman and Henry FuseliAntique Paper Company are a long established family business selling original antique prints, maps engravings as well as many other paper antiques such as original vintage Decorative Posters, Ephemera, Stamps Postal History, Manuscripts, Antiquarian Books much more. We are always looking to buy and have up to andpound;500,000 in immediate funds available. We are looking for exceptional single items, better collections, original archives, Atlases, Libraries, accumulations etc and have previously purchased from Major Institutions, Libraries, Collectors, Solicitors many other sources. We are happy to travel almost anywhere in the world for the right opportunities. So please do get in touch if you are considering selling your Antique Paper collectables.

Seller Inventory # AN-23-4803437

Bibliographic Details

• Title: 1766 Large Antique engraving GREEK ROMAN VASE by HAMILTON (AN-23)