DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.879#0364
ANHANG IY
AKTENSTÜCKE ÜBER LORD ELGINS ERWERBUNG
DER BILDWERKE VOM PARTHENON
Aus dem Report /Vor» the Selert Committee of
the House of Commons on the Earl of Elgiris
f'olleelion of Seulptured Marlies; &c. London,
John Murray, 181t).
Minutes of Evidbncb
Taken before the Select Couiinitteo, respeeting
The Earl of Elgin's Marbles.
1.
31 Jovis, 29° die Februarii, 1816.
Henry Rankes, Ksquire, in The Chair.
The Karl of Etgin, called in, and Examincri.
Your Lordship will be pleased to State the
circumstances under which you became possessed
of this Collection, and the authority which you
received for taking the Marbles from Athens? —
The idea was suggested to me in the year 1799,
at the period of my noniination to the Knibassy
at Constantinople, by Mr. llarrison, an architect,
who was working for nie in Scotland, and who
had passed the greater part of his life in Rome;
32 and his Observation was, that | thotigh the Public
was in possessio!! of every thing to give them
a general knowledge of the remains of Athens,
yet they had nothing to convey to Artists , par-
ticularly to Students, that which the actual re-
presentation by east would more effectually give
them. Upon that suggeslion, I comimuiicated
very fully with my acquaintauces in London. I
mentioned it to Lord Grenville, Mr. Pitt, antl
Mr. Dundas, upon the idea that it was of such
national impoitance as that the Government
might be induced to take it up, not only to ob-
tain the object, but also to obtain it by the means
of the inost able artists at that time in England.
The answer of Government, whieh was entirely
negative, was, that the Govemuient would not
have beeu justitied in undertaking aiiy oxpeiicc of
an indeliiiite nature, particularly under the little
ability that then existed of the success of the
ertaking. l'pon that understanding I applied
ch artists here as were recommended to nie
kely to answer the purpose, in partieular to
Turner, to go upon my owu account. Mr.
Turner's objection to my plan was, that as the
object was of a general nature, and that the con-
dition I insisted upon was, that the whole results
of all the artists shonld be collected together and
left with me; he objected, because he wished to
retain a certain portion of his own labour for his
own use; he moreover asked between seven and
eight hundred pouuds of salary, independently of
his expenses being paid, which of course was out
of my reach altogether; therefore nothing was
done höre preparatory to the undertaking at all.
When I went to Sicily, I met Sir Wüliam|
Hamilton, to whom I explained my views; he33
encouraged my idea, and applied to the King of
Naples for permission for nie to engage his paint-
er Lusieri, who was at that time employed in
picturesque views of Sicily for the Sicilian go-
vernment; who went with Mr. Hamilton to Korne,
and, upon the plan arranged with Sir William
Hamilton, engaged the live other artists, who
accompanied him ultimately to Turkey; those üve
persons were, two arehitects, two niodellcrs. and
HM figiiru painter. They reached Constanlinople
about the middle of May 1800, at the time when
the Kreuch were in füll possession of Egypt, and
of course no attempts could be made with any
prospect of general success. 1 seilt them to
Athens, however, as soon as an opportunity
offered: for several niontbs they had no access
to the Acropolis, except for the purpose of draw-
ing, and that at au expense of tive guineas a
day; that lasted from August 1800 tili the month
of April 1801.
That limited access lasted about nine nionths?
— Yes.
The fee of üve guineas was one usually de-
manded from strangers? — There were so few
strangers there 1 do not know, but in the in-
stantes which came to my knowledge, it was so.
Dnring that period my artists were employed in
the buildings in the low town of Athens. Im
Proportion with the change nf affairs in onr rela-
tions towards Turkey, the facilities of access were
increased to nie and to all English travellers;
and about the middle of the summer of 1801 all
AKTENSTÜCKE ÜBER LORD ELGINS ERWERBUNG
DER BILDWERKE VOM PARTHENON
Aus dem Report /Vor» the Selert Committee of
the House of Commons on the Earl of Elgiris
f'olleelion of Seulptured Marlies; &c. London,
John Murray, 181t).
Minutes of Evidbncb
Taken before the Select Couiinitteo, respeeting
The Earl of Elgin's Marbles.
1.
31 Jovis, 29° die Februarii, 1816.
Henry Rankes, Ksquire, in The Chair.
The Karl of Etgin, called in, and Examincri.
Your Lordship will be pleased to State the
circumstances under which you became possessed
of this Collection, and the authority which you
received for taking the Marbles from Athens? —
The idea was suggested to me in the year 1799,
at the period of my noniination to the Knibassy
at Constantinople, by Mr. llarrison, an architect,
who was working for nie in Scotland, and who
had passed the greater part of his life in Rome;
32 and his Observation was, that | thotigh the Public
was in possessio!! of every thing to give them
a general knowledge of the remains of Athens,
yet they had nothing to convey to Artists , par-
ticularly to Students, that which the actual re-
presentation by east would more effectually give
them. Upon that suggeslion, I comimuiicated
very fully with my acquaintauces in London. I
mentioned it to Lord Grenville, Mr. Pitt, antl
Mr. Dundas, upon the idea that it was of such
national impoitance as that the Government
might be induced to take it up, not only to ob-
tain the object, but also to obtain it by the means
of the inost able artists at that time in England.
The answer of Government, whieh was entirely
negative, was, that the Govemuient would not
have beeu justitied in undertaking aiiy oxpeiicc of
an indeliiiite nature, particularly under the little
ability that then existed of the success of the
ertaking. l'pon that understanding I applied
ch artists here as were recommended to nie
kely to answer the purpose, in partieular to
Turner, to go upon my owu account. Mr.
Turner's objection to my plan was, that as the
object was of a general nature, and that the con-
dition I insisted upon was, that the whole results
of all the artists shonld be collected together and
left with me; he objected, because he wished to
retain a certain portion of his own labour for his
own use; he moreover asked between seven and
eight hundred pouuds of salary, independently of
his expenses being paid, which of course was out
of my reach altogether; therefore nothing was
done höre preparatory to the undertaking at all.
When I went to Sicily, I met Sir Wüliam|
Hamilton, to whom I explained my views; he33
encouraged my idea, and applied to the King of
Naples for permission for nie to engage his paint-
er Lusieri, who was at that time employed in
picturesque views of Sicily for the Sicilian go-
vernment; who went with Mr. Hamilton to Korne,
and, upon the plan arranged with Sir William
Hamilton, engaged the live other artists, who
accompanied him ultimately to Turkey; those üve
persons were, two arehitects, two niodellcrs. and
HM figiiru painter. They reached Constanlinople
about the middle of May 1800, at the time when
the Kreuch were in füll possession of Egypt, and
of course no attempts could be made with any
prospect of general success. 1 seilt them to
Athens, however, as soon as an opportunity
offered: for several niontbs they had no access
to the Acropolis, except for the purpose of draw-
ing, and that at au expense of tive guineas a
day; that lasted from August 1800 tili the month
of April 1801.
That limited access lasted about nine nionths?
— Yes.
The fee of üve guineas was one usually de-
manded from strangers? — There were so few
strangers there 1 do not know, but in the in-
stantes which came to my knowledge, it was so.
Dnring that period my artists were employed in
the buildings in the low town of Athens. Im
Proportion with the change nf affairs in onr rela-
tions towards Turkey, the facilities of access were
increased to nie and to all English travellers;
and about the middle of the summer of 1801 all