DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4328#0015
2 ANTIQUITIES OF IONIA
pecuniary means at their disposal to the encouragement of the Fine Arts. It is the payment of a bill
amounting to £6: 15s. for digging amongst the foundations of the temple at Pola." This reference to
excavations at Pola is probably the earliest record of any researches being undertaken for the scholarly
purpose of determining the form of an ancient building. Hamilton's notes also contain the following
passages (cf. Cust, p. 47): "In the year 1742 the Society began to raise a subscription among them-
selves for purchasing or building a House-in which they should hold their meetings. ... It was their
intention to fit it up for their own purposes, and also to make it a repository for works of Art,
particularly casts of the most celebrated ancient statues, with a view to cultivate and encourage a
taste for the Fine Arts. ... In 1752 the Society resolved that this building should be erected on
the model of some ancient building, according to the most exact proportions and measurement that
can be procured."1 It is curious to observe that in the year preceding this resolution the Society
elected into their body Mr. Stuart and Mr. Revett, two young architects of considerable ability, who
were then employed at Athens collecting materials for their great work called the Antiquities of
Athens, the first volume of which was published in 1762. The proposals of these gentlemen for
publishing such a work had first appeared at Rome in 1748. " In 1753 it was determined that the
temple of Pola should be taken as a model for the intended building, and that a plan and elevation
according to that model be forthwith directed to be prepared."
As Stuart and Revett had visited Pola in 1750 the suggestion as to taking its temple as the
model for the proposed new building was evidently made by them. In 1761 the Committee decided
that if a piece of ground could be obtained from the Crown adjoining the park wall in Piccadilly:
... in order to build an exact copy of an antique temple, viz. that of Pola, it would be the properest way of disposing
the Society's money according to their original intention, and would be a public ornament and the first example of this
kind in His Majesty's dominions, and redound greatly to the honour of this Society.2
In 1764 a petition was presented for leave to build the temple in Green Park, and then, as we
have seen, the ambitions of the Society began to be turned toward Eastern research. The scheme of
the house was probably from the first connected with connoisseurship. It was to be a gallery of
classical art—a Cast Museum—and the building itself was to be an accurate reproduction of a classical
example of architecture. Munich was thus anticipated. This ambition has been smiled on as being
a mere foible, but it is desirable that we should understand the point of view of those who had such
an intention—this was to provide a perfect model of classical art as a contribution to national culture
rather than an effort to disguise a clubhouse as a temple. We should be none the worse for similar
generous ambitions at the present time, and frank copies may be defended as far more reasonable
than essays in imitative design.
In the year 1763 the Society entered into an engagement with Dr. Chandler, Mr. Revett, and
Mr. Pars, that these gentlemen, respectively in the character of an antiquary, an architect, and a
draughtsman, should proceed to the Levant and there employ themselves for the period of two years
in making observations, collecting inscriptions, drawing views and antiquities, and in measuring
ancient buildings for the purposes of the Society. These particulars are drawn from a copy of their
instructions printed in the preface to Chandler's Travels in Asia Minor, 1775, which gives an account
of the route followed.
The instructions were drawn up by Mr. Wood3 (celebrated for his work on Palmyra in conjunc-
tion with Mr. Dawkins) and were signed May 17th, 1764. This, the first Ionian Mission of the
Society, left Gravesend on the 10th of June, 1764, and continued to pursue the objects of the expedition
till the autumn of 1766.4 Robert Wood had travelled in Asia Minor in 1750 with James Dawkins
before they made their famous exploration of Palmyra, the results of which were published in 1758.
Such journeys in Asia Minor were, comparatively, made easy in consequence of the existence of the
English "factory" at Smyrna, and the members of the Mission of 1764 were directed to make that
port their centre, taking expeditions from it as opportunity offered.
Many of Revett's original drawings, made in Asia Minor and Greece, are preserved in the British
Museum, to which they were given by the Society. There are about sixty leaves of a sketch-book
which are paged so that the original order can be traced, also the fair drawings from which the plates
were prepared. An examination of this material shows that some of it has never been fully published.
1 When in 1736 a box was made for the use of the Society, it was carved by Mr. Adye in imitation of the porphyry tomb in Santa Costanza, then
known as the Temple of Bacchus. The box has ever since been called " Bacchus's tomb."
2 Hamilton, Historical Notices, p. 21.
3 So Chandler, compare L. Cust's volume.
4 This account is for the most part taken from Hamilton's MS. notes.
pecuniary means at their disposal to the encouragement of the Fine Arts. It is the payment of a bill
amounting to £6: 15s. for digging amongst the foundations of the temple at Pola." This reference to
excavations at Pola is probably the earliest record of any researches being undertaken for the scholarly
purpose of determining the form of an ancient building. Hamilton's notes also contain the following
passages (cf. Cust, p. 47): "In the year 1742 the Society began to raise a subscription among them-
selves for purchasing or building a House-in which they should hold their meetings. ... It was their
intention to fit it up for their own purposes, and also to make it a repository for works of Art,
particularly casts of the most celebrated ancient statues, with a view to cultivate and encourage a
taste for the Fine Arts. ... In 1752 the Society resolved that this building should be erected on
the model of some ancient building, according to the most exact proportions and measurement that
can be procured."1 It is curious to observe that in the year preceding this resolution the Society
elected into their body Mr. Stuart and Mr. Revett, two young architects of considerable ability, who
were then employed at Athens collecting materials for their great work called the Antiquities of
Athens, the first volume of which was published in 1762. The proposals of these gentlemen for
publishing such a work had first appeared at Rome in 1748. " In 1753 it was determined that the
temple of Pola should be taken as a model for the intended building, and that a plan and elevation
according to that model be forthwith directed to be prepared."
As Stuart and Revett had visited Pola in 1750 the suggestion as to taking its temple as the
model for the proposed new building was evidently made by them. In 1761 the Committee decided
that if a piece of ground could be obtained from the Crown adjoining the park wall in Piccadilly:
... in order to build an exact copy of an antique temple, viz. that of Pola, it would be the properest way of disposing
the Society's money according to their original intention, and would be a public ornament and the first example of this
kind in His Majesty's dominions, and redound greatly to the honour of this Society.2
In 1764 a petition was presented for leave to build the temple in Green Park, and then, as we
have seen, the ambitions of the Society began to be turned toward Eastern research. The scheme of
the house was probably from the first connected with connoisseurship. It was to be a gallery of
classical art—a Cast Museum—and the building itself was to be an accurate reproduction of a classical
example of architecture. Munich was thus anticipated. This ambition has been smiled on as being
a mere foible, but it is desirable that we should understand the point of view of those who had such
an intention—this was to provide a perfect model of classical art as a contribution to national culture
rather than an effort to disguise a clubhouse as a temple. We should be none the worse for similar
generous ambitions at the present time, and frank copies may be defended as far more reasonable
than essays in imitative design.
In the year 1763 the Society entered into an engagement with Dr. Chandler, Mr. Revett, and
Mr. Pars, that these gentlemen, respectively in the character of an antiquary, an architect, and a
draughtsman, should proceed to the Levant and there employ themselves for the period of two years
in making observations, collecting inscriptions, drawing views and antiquities, and in measuring
ancient buildings for the purposes of the Society. These particulars are drawn from a copy of their
instructions printed in the preface to Chandler's Travels in Asia Minor, 1775, which gives an account
of the route followed.
The instructions were drawn up by Mr. Wood3 (celebrated for his work on Palmyra in conjunc-
tion with Mr. Dawkins) and were signed May 17th, 1764. This, the first Ionian Mission of the
Society, left Gravesend on the 10th of June, 1764, and continued to pursue the objects of the expedition
till the autumn of 1766.4 Robert Wood had travelled in Asia Minor in 1750 with James Dawkins
before they made their famous exploration of Palmyra, the results of which were published in 1758.
Such journeys in Asia Minor were, comparatively, made easy in consequence of the existence of the
English "factory" at Smyrna, and the members of the Mission of 1764 were directed to make that
port their centre, taking expeditions from it as opportunity offered.
Many of Revett's original drawings, made in Asia Minor and Greece, are preserved in the British
Museum, to which they were given by the Society. There are about sixty leaves of a sketch-book
which are paged so that the original order can be traced, also the fair drawings from which the plates
were prepared. An examination of this material shows that some of it has never been fully published.
1 When in 1736 a box was made for the use of the Society, it was carved by Mr. Adye in imitation of the porphyry tomb in Santa Costanza, then
known as the Temple of Bacchus. The box has ever since been called " Bacchus's tomb."
2 Hamilton, Historical Notices, p. 21.
3 So Chandler, compare L. Cust's volume.
4 This account is for the most part taken from Hamilton's MS. notes.