Collection of Etruscan, Greek, and Roman antiquities . from the cabinet of the Hon. Wm. Hamilton.
Pierre-François Hughes, Baron d'Hancarville (1719-1805)
Category
Books
Date
1766 - 1767
Materials
Place of origin
Italy
Order this imageCollection
Tatton Park, Cheshire
NT 3068779
Caption
During his time as envoy to the British Embassy in Naples, Sir William Hamilton amassed an important collection of ancient Greek vases. Before selling them to the British Museum in 1772, Hamilton commissioned Pierre-François-Hugues d’Hancarville to catalogue the vases. The resulting four volumes, of which the first two are at Tatton Park, is a neoclassical masterpiece. When the first volume was published in 1766, it garnered praise from Johann Joachim Winckelmann and the etchings, some of which are hand-coloured and highlighted in white lead, exerted lasting influence on contemporary design and taste. Josiah Wedgwood's classical enamelled basalt wares were derived directly from the plates in these volumes. One of the double-paged coloured engravings illustrates scenes found on the Hamilton Vase, a volute krater made in the 4th century BC (British Museum 1772,0320.14.+). So important is the Hamilton Vase, d’Hancarville dedicated three black-and-white and two double-page colour engravings to it.
Summary
Bibliographic description
2v. . ill.. (col.) . 48cm.. State unknown. Binding: Red morocco, gilt.
Makers and roles
Pierre-François Hughes, Baron d'Hancarville (1719-1805) Sir William Hamilton KB (1730-1803)