DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.803#0006
BRITISH MUSEUM.
ELGIN MARBLES.
Chapter I.
In the summer of 1799, at the period of the Earl
of Elgin's appointment to the Embassy to Turkey,
Mr. Harrison, an experienced architect, who was then
working for him in Scotland, suggested to his Lord-
ship, that though the public was in possession of
every tiling to give them a general knowledge of the
remains of antient art at Athens, yet they had nothing
to convey to artists, particularly to students, that which
the actual representation by cast would more effectually
give them. Upon this suggestion, Lord Elgin made
a communication to his Majesty's government; but
the probability of incurring an expense of an indefinite
nature, and doubt as to the successful issue of the
undertaking, deterred the minister from adopting the
proposal as a national object. Nothing therefore was
done to promote Lord Elgin's views, in England.
In his voyage to Constantinople, Lord Elgin
touched at Palermo, where he consulted with Sir
William Hamilton, who not only encouraged his
idea of procuring drawings and easts from the sculp-
tures and architecture of Greece, and more especially
from the specimens existing at Athens, but applied
to the King of Naples for permission to engage his
VOL. I, B
ELGIN MARBLES.
Chapter I.
In the summer of 1799, at the period of the Earl
of Elgin's appointment to the Embassy to Turkey,
Mr. Harrison, an experienced architect, who was then
working for him in Scotland, suggested to his Lord-
ship, that though the public was in possession of
every tiling to give them a general knowledge of the
remains of antient art at Athens, yet they had nothing
to convey to artists, particularly to students, that which
the actual representation by cast would more effectually
give them. Upon this suggestion, Lord Elgin made
a communication to his Majesty's government; but
the probability of incurring an expense of an indefinite
nature, and doubt as to the successful issue of the
undertaking, deterred the minister from adopting the
proposal as a national object. Nothing therefore was
done to promote Lord Elgin's views, in England.
In his voyage to Constantinople, Lord Elgin
touched at Palermo, where he consulted with Sir
William Hamilton, who not only encouraged his
idea of procuring drawings and easts from the sculp-
tures and architecture of Greece, and more especially
from the specimens existing at Athens, but applied
to the King of Naples for permission to engage his
VOL. I, B