DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.683#0156
138
the consideration of the expense which has attended the
removing, transporting, and bringing them to England.
To these will be added some general observations upon
what is to be found, in various authors, relating to these mar-
bles*.
I.
When the Earl of Elgin quitted England upon his mission
to the Ottoman Porte, it was his original intention to make
that appointment beneficial to the progress of the Fine Arts
in Oreat Britain, by procuring accurate drawings and casts of
the valuable remains of sculpture and architecture scattered
throughout Greece, and particularly concentrated at Athens.
With this view he engaged Signor Lusieri, a painter of re-
putation, who was then in the service of the King of the Two
Sicilies, together with two architects, two modellers, and a
figure painter, whom Mr. Hamilton (now under-secretary of
state) engaged at Rome and despatched with Lusieri, in the
summer of 1800, from Constantinople to Athens.
They were employed there about nine months, from Au-
gust 1800 to May 1801, without having any sort of facility or
accommodation afforded to them: nor was the Acropolisacces-
sible to them, even for the purpose of taking drawings, except
by the payment of a large fee, which was exacted daily.
The other five artists were withdrawn from Athens in Ja-
nuary 1803; but Lusieri has continued there ever since, ex-
cepting during the short period of our hostilities with the
Ottoman Porte.
During the year 1800, Egypt was in the power of the
French: and that sort of contempt and dislike which has
always characterized the Turkish government and people in
their behaviour towards every denomination of Christians,
prevailed in full force.
* These Observations are omitted.
the consideration of the expense which has attended the
removing, transporting, and bringing them to England.
To these will be added some general observations upon
what is to be found, in various authors, relating to these mar-
bles*.
I.
When the Earl of Elgin quitted England upon his mission
to the Ottoman Porte, it was his original intention to make
that appointment beneficial to the progress of the Fine Arts
in Oreat Britain, by procuring accurate drawings and casts of
the valuable remains of sculpture and architecture scattered
throughout Greece, and particularly concentrated at Athens.
With this view he engaged Signor Lusieri, a painter of re-
putation, who was then in the service of the King of the Two
Sicilies, together with two architects, two modellers, and a
figure painter, whom Mr. Hamilton (now under-secretary of
state) engaged at Rome and despatched with Lusieri, in the
summer of 1800, from Constantinople to Athens.
They were employed there about nine months, from Au-
gust 1800 to May 1801, without having any sort of facility or
accommodation afforded to them: nor was the Acropolisacces-
sible to them, even for the purpose of taking drawings, except
by the payment of a large fee, which was exacted daily.
The other five artists were withdrawn from Athens in Ja-
nuary 1803; but Lusieri has continued there ever since, ex-
cepting during the short period of our hostilities with the
Ottoman Porte.
During the year 1800, Egypt was in the power of the
French: and that sort of contempt and dislike which has
always characterized the Turkish government and people in
their behaviour towards every denomination of Christians,
prevailed in full force.
* These Observations are omitted.