DOI Heft:
Nr. 4
DOI Artikel:Dobrowolski, Witold; Smuglewicz, Franciszek [Ill.]; Byres, James [Ill.]: The drawings of Etruscan tombs by Franciszek Smuglewicz and his cooperation with James Byres
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18863#0129
drawings and some completed preliminary engra-vings of the paintings frem the Cardinal's
Tomb and on the basis of them he described the paintings in "Ar.merkungen iiber die Geschichte
der Kunst des Altertums"111. Moreover, abbot Luigi Lansi in his frmous work Saggio delia
lingua clrusca also several times alludes to the intentcd album appreciating the already pre-
pared materiał112. Ali those praises were exclusively addresstd to Eyics ar.d Smugkwicz is
not even once mentioned. The engravings presented ar.d distributcd by Byres were the atant
la lettre prints, thus the same as those in the possession of Srmiglewicz. Thty were not provided
with signatures113. The phrase concerning the friendship with Winckclmann and Battoni should
be referred to Byres114, though on the other hand it is quite probable that fmugkwicz also
met freąuently with them.
Lack of any information of the account of the involvcd milieu, suggesting Smuglewicz's
anonymous participation in the enterprise, caused that all the praises for the work were ad-
dressed exclusively to Byres, although Smuglewicz deserved them to the same extent. The
ąuality of the work was highly estimated not only by the contemporary experts. Worth quo-
ting, for example, is the opinion of Seroux d'Agincourt115: "J'en verifie l'exactitude sur les
licux mćmes; elle est entiere quant aux sujets, mais le style du dessin m'a paru ameliore, et
n'avoir pas le style du dessin qui etait propre aux Etrusques". The quoted opinion seems very
much up to date and many of the following scholars represented a similar point of view116.
Thus it is not surprising that there have been and are still being published works utilizing the
plates of Hypogaei for scientific purposes117.
The colaboration with Byres was of a great importance for the later career of Smuglewicz.
Participation in the execution of the Scot's project and work in the Etruscan tombs were the
artists first experience in the field of cooperation with archeologists; the gained cxperience
was to fructify in the marveolous work Termę di Tito. The direct and longlasting contacts with
original ancient painting as wrell as the preocupation by the popular at the time classicist doc-
trine, determined the classicist character of his oeuvre.
Translated by Piotr Paszkiewicz
111. J. Winckelmann, Geschichte der Kurni des Altertums, Wien, 1776, p. 170—172; In Italian edition: G. Winckclmann
Storia delie Arie del Discgno presso gil Antichi, Borna, 1783, p. 193 Byres is mentioned even on that occassion: "Se ne
avra quanto prima una picna ed accurata dcscrizionc eon tavolc in nomc del Signor Byres".
112. L. Lanzi, Saggio di lingua etrusca, 2nd edition, Firenzc, 1824, p. 206: "La colonia di Damarato ... fondo rruella scuola
che sara certamente lodata molto pc'rami del Sig. Byres...", p. 211: "Certę dclPArti a Tarquinia trasceltc giudiziosa-
mente ... saran date in rami coloriti... per opera del Sig. Byres"; p. 200: "grottc ceretane, le cui pittnre fa incidcre in
rami eon ottimo gusto il Sig. Byres". Also ahbot G. Tiraboschi, Slorio delia Letleratura Italiana, 2nd edition, Modena,
1787, I, p. 14, mentions the preparations for publishing Etruscan Antiąuities: "Mcntre si sta aspettando qucst'Opcra,'
in cui sarebbc dcsidcrabile, che alla rigorosa esattezza del Disegno si aggiungesse 1'cspression de'colori.....and publishes'
the letter of Cardinal Garampi dated May 20, 1786 describing the Cardinal's Tomb. The learncd Cardinal, known of his
stay in Poland, ordered in 1786 to elear off the tomb — hence this famous monument of Etruscan scpulchral art dcrives
its traditional name from that of Cardinal Garampi.
113. Ejccept the engraring depicting a smali altor which corresponds to the engraving V, 6 from "Hypogaei..." where Nor-
ton's signature can be found.
111. Tbcre are no doubts that they knew each other. This conclusion can be deduced both from the preserved letters and
works by Winckclmann. Howevcr, the same letter of the scholar to his friend (quotcd in the footnote 59) may be the
best cvidcncc that he did not stand high in Winckclmann^ favour.
115. Sce footnote 97.
116. Van Essen, op. cii., p. 85; Locffncr, op. cit., p. 196.
117. A. Morandi's work concerning the Cardinal's Tomb in Tarquinia, which is to bc published in Monumenti delia Pitlura
Ar.lica trotati in Italia, makes usc of both contemporary photographs of the tomb and plates from Hypogaei...
119
Tomb and on the basis of them he described the paintings in "Ar.merkungen iiber die Geschichte
der Kunst des Altertums"111. Moreover, abbot Luigi Lansi in his frmous work Saggio delia
lingua clrusca also several times alludes to the intentcd album appreciating the already pre-
pared materiał112. Ali those praises were exclusively addresstd to Eyics ar.d Smugkwicz is
not even once mentioned. The engravings presented ar.d distributcd by Byres were the atant
la lettre prints, thus the same as those in the possession of Srmiglewicz. Thty were not provided
with signatures113. The phrase concerning the friendship with Winckclmann and Battoni should
be referred to Byres114, though on the other hand it is quite probable that fmugkwicz also
met freąuently with them.
Lack of any information of the account of the involvcd milieu, suggesting Smuglewicz's
anonymous participation in the enterprise, caused that all the praises for the work were ad-
dressed exclusively to Byres, although Smuglewicz deserved them to the same extent. The
ąuality of the work was highly estimated not only by the contemporary experts. Worth quo-
ting, for example, is the opinion of Seroux d'Agincourt115: "J'en verifie l'exactitude sur les
licux mćmes; elle est entiere quant aux sujets, mais le style du dessin m'a paru ameliore, et
n'avoir pas le style du dessin qui etait propre aux Etrusques". The quoted opinion seems very
much up to date and many of the following scholars represented a similar point of view116.
Thus it is not surprising that there have been and are still being published works utilizing the
plates of Hypogaei for scientific purposes117.
The colaboration with Byres was of a great importance for the later career of Smuglewicz.
Participation in the execution of the Scot's project and work in the Etruscan tombs were the
artists first experience in the field of cooperation with archeologists; the gained cxperience
was to fructify in the marveolous work Termę di Tito. The direct and longlasting contacts with
original ancient painting as wrell as the preocupation by the popular at the time classicist doc-
trine, determined the classicist character of his oeuvre.
Translated by Piotr Paszkiewicz
111. J. Winckelmann, Geschichte der Kurni des Altertums, Wien, 1776, p. 170—172; In Italian edition: G. Winckclmann
Storia delie Arie del Discgno presso gil Antichi, Borna, 1783, p. 193 Byres is mentioned even on that occassion: "Se ne
avra quanto prima una picna ed accurata dcscrizionc eon tavolc in nomc del Signor Byres".
112. L. Lanzi, Saggio di lingua etrusca, 2nd edition, Firenzc, 1824, p. 206: "La colonia di Damarato ... fondo rruella scuola
che sara certamente lodata molto pc'rami del Sig. Byres...", p. 211: "Certę dclPArti a Tarquinia trasceltc giudiziosa-
mente ... saran date in rami coloriti... per opera del Sig. Byres"; p. 200: "grottc ceretane, le cui pittnre fa incidcre in
rami eon ottimo gusto il Sig. Byres". Also ahbot G. Tiraboschi, Slorio delia Letleratura Italiana, 2nd edition, Modena,
1787, I, p. 14, mentions the preparations for publishing Etruscan Antiąuities: "Mcntre si sta aspettando qucst'Opcra,'
in cui sarebbc dcsidcrabile, che alla rigorosa esattezza del Disegno si aggiungesse 1'cspression de'colori.....and publishes'
the letter of Cardinal Garampi dated May 20, 1786 describing the Cardinal's Tomb. The learncd Cardinal, known of his
stay in Poland, ordered in 1786 to elear off the tomb — hence this famous monument of Etruscan scpulchral art dcrives
its traditional name from that of Cardinal Garampi.
113. Ejccept the engraring depicting a smali altor which corresponds to the engraving V, 6 from "Hypogaei..." where Nor-
ton's signature can be found.
111. Tbcre are no doubts that they knew each other. This conclusion can be deduced both from the preserved letters and
works by Winckclmann. Howevcr, the same letter of the scholar to his friend (quotcd in the footnote 59) may be the
best cvidcncc that he did not stand high in Winckclmann^ favour.
115. Sce footnote 97.
116. Van Essen, op. cii., p. 85; Locffncr, op. cit., p. 196.
117. A. Morandi's work concerning the Cardinal's Tomb in Tarquinia, which is to bc published in Monumenti delia Pitlura
Ar.lica trotati in Italia, makes usc of both contemporary photographs of the tomb and plates from Hypogaei...
119