DOI issue:
Nr. 4
DOI article:Dobrowolski, Witold; Smuglewicz, Franciszek [Ill.]; Byres, James [Ill.]: The drawings of Etruscan tombs by Franciszek Smuglewicz and his cooperation with James Byres
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18863#0120
been a good guide, as Gibbon estimated him quite highly even many years later51. It was in
the same year (1764) when Byres started to act as art dealer52. Also in that sphere he was to
succeed shortly. It was him who handled the famous Portland vase before it reached London53.
He was also involved in the illegal purchase of the Seven Sacraments by Poussin54 and its
deportation from Rome. This kind of activity carried on till 1792, when Byres had to leave
Borne in fear of the French, helped him to gain wealth as well as respect before he returned
to England.
Financial success of great and luxury publications on art must have inspired him with the
idea of publishing a subscribed album entitled Etruscan Antiąuities of Cornelo with his own
historical text and accompanied by illustrations of the most important monuments discovered
in the surrounding of Corneto where the remains of the ancient Etruscan town of Tarquinia
were found.
Byres must have been directly stimulated by the inerease of interest in Etruria noticable
in Rome after the successful excavations carried out by Jenkins in 176 155. Jenkins personally
announced the results of his works in the letter dated August 8th, 1761. This letter was red
out at the session of the Society of Antiąuaries on December 12th of the same year50. The un-
derground painted Etruscan tombs were among the most interesting discoveries. Jenkins stressed
in the letter that till the beginning of the excavations he was the only Enlishman ever to have
seen the tombs.
The interst the Corneto excavation arose can be also examplified by the letter written by
Paciaudi on July lOth, 1761 and addressed to a famous French archaeologist, de Caylus,who
published it in his Recueil des Antiquitess?!. Following generał interest Piranesi went to Corneto
where he copied few details from the paintings in the Etruscan tombs58.
Jenkins' research was initiated and financed by Joseph Wilcox, the author of the report
(published in 1763) on the excavations, which was accompanied by simple and rather primitive
illustrations. In his report Wilcox repcated the statement that "Mr Jenkins is the first and
the only Englishman who ever visited the discovered tombs"59. Thus Byres's stay in Corneto
must have taken place some time later and coincided approximately with the period of time
when he decided to give up his artistic career.
Terminus ante ąuem of the beginning of works on the tombs connected with the preparations
for the album is described in Winckelann's letter written on June 16th, 1766, in which he men-
tions excavations carried outat Corneto by Byres and somebody called Yillebrain.00 They took-
51 . The Miscellaneous Works of Edward Gibbon, Memoirs and Letlers, 1814, p. 196: "My guide was Mr. Byres, a Scotch anti
(juary of experiencc and taste".
52. B. Ford, "James Byres", op. cit., p. 451.
53. Byres bought it from Donna Cornelia Barberini Colonna and sold it to Sir William Hamilton for 1000 pounds: Brian Fot-
liergil. Sir William Hamilton, 1969, p. 192—196; H. Mobius, "Zeicbnungen Etruskischcr Kammergraber und Einzelfunde
von James Byres", Jdl, 3, 73/74, 1966/1967, p. 53 ff.; B. Ford, "James Byres", op. cit., p. 456.
54. B. Ford, "James Byres", op. cit., p. 459.
55. ibid., p. 452.
56. S.R. Pierce, Thomas Jenkins in Rome, p. 211: MS Minutes, VIII, p. 356—357.
57. Comte de Cuylus, Recueil des Anliąuiles IV, p. 110. The letter of P. Paciaudi.
58. Gianbattista Piranesi was in Corneto in 1764. He published the drawings in DeWIntroduzione e dcl Progresso delie Belle
Arii in Europa nei lempi antichi, pi. I—III. He also mentions the Corneto Tombs in: Direrse manierę d'adornare i cam-
mini ed ogni akra parte degli edifici, Roma, 1769, p. 22. On that occassion he mentions about B)res's enterprise.
59. Joseph Wilcox, "An account of some subterraneous appartements communicated by C. Morton", Philosophical Trans*
actions, LIII, London, 1763, p. 127—129. Delivered on Maroh 17th, 1763.
60. Johan Joachim Winckelmann, Briefe, ed. Hans Diepolder und Walther Rchm, Berlin, 1956, p. 186, no 182.
110
the same year (1764) when Byres started to act as art dealer52. Also in that sphere he was to
succeed shortly. It was him who handled the famous Portland vase before it reached London53.
He was also involved in the illegal purchase of the Seven Sacraments by Poussin54 and its
deportation from Rome. This kind of activity carried on till 1792, when Byres had to leave
Borne in fear of the French, helped him to gain wealth as well as respect before he returned
to England.
Financial success of great and luxury publications on art must have inspired him with the
idea of publishing a subscribed album entitled Etruscan Antiąuities of Cornelo with his own
historical text and accompanied by illustrations of the most important monuments discovered
in the surrounding of Corneto where the remains of the ancient Etruscan town of Tarquinia
were found.
Byres must have been directly stimulated by the inerease of interest in Etruria noticable
in Rome after the successful excavations carried out by Jenkins in 176 155. Jenkins personally
announced the results of his works in the letter dated August 8th, 1761. This letter was red
out at the session of the Society of Antiąuaries on December 12th of the same year50. The un-
derground painted Etruscan tombs were among the most interesting discoveries. Jenkins stressed
in the letter that till the beginning of the excavations he was the only Enlishman ever to have
seen the tombs.
The interst the Corneto excavation arose can be also examplified by the letter written by
Paciaudi on July lOth, 1761 and addressed to a famous French archaeologist, de Caylus,who
published it in his Recueil des Antiquitess?!. Following generał interest Piranesi went to Corneto
where he copied few details from the paintings in the Etruscan tombs58.
Jenkins' research was initiated and financed by Joseph Wilcox, the author of the report
(published in 1763) on the excavations, which was accompanied by simple and rather primitive
illustrations. In his report Wilcox repcated the statement that "Mr Jenkins is the first and
the only Englishman who ever visited the discovered tombs"59. Thus Byres's stay in Corneto
must have taken place some time later and coincided approximately with the period of time
when he decided to give up his artistic career.
Terminus ante ąuem of the beginning of works on the tombs connected with the preparations
for the album is described in Winckelann's letter written on June 16th, 1766, in which he men-
tions excavations carried outat Corneto by Byres and somebody called Yillebrain.00 They took-
51 . The Miscellaneous Works of Edward Gibbon, Memoirs and Letlers, 1814, p. 196: "My guide was Mr. Byres, a Scotch anti
(juary of experiencc and taste".
52. B. Ford, "James Byres", op. cit., p. 451.
53. Byres bought it from Donna Cornelia Barberini Colonna and sold it to Sir William Hamilton for 1000 pounds: Brian Fot-
liergil. Sir William Hamilton, 1969, p. 192—196; H. Mobius, "Zeicbnungen Etruskischcr Kammergraber und Einzelfunde
von James Byres", Jdl, 3, 73/74, 1966/1967, p. 53 ff.; B. Ford, "James Byres", op. cit., p. 456.
54. B. Ford, "James Byres", op. cit., p. 459.
55. ibid., p. 452.
56. S.R. Pierce, Thomas Jenkins in Rome, p. 211: MS Minutes, VIII, p. 356—357.
57. Comte de Cuylus, Recueil des Anliąuiles IV, p. 110. The letter of P. Paciaudi.
58. Gianbattista Piranesi was in Corneto in 1764. He published the drawings in DeWIntroduzione e dcl Progresso delie Belle
Arii in Europa nei lempi antichi, pi. I—III. He also mentions the Corneto Tombs in: Direrse manierę d'adornare i cam-
mini ed ogni akra parte degli edifici, Roma, 1769, p. 22. On that occassion he mentions about B)res's enterprise.
59. Joseph Wilcox, "An account of some subterraneous appartements communicated by C. Morton", Philosophical Trans*
actions, LIII, London, 1763, p. 127—129. Delivered on Maroh 17th, 1763.
60. Johan Joachim Winckelmann, Briefe, ed. Hans Diepolder und Walther Rchm, Berlin, 1956, p. 186, no 182.
110