Smith, Arthur H. [Hrsg.]; British Museum <London> / Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities [Hrsg.]: Catalogue of sculpture in the Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities (Band 1) (London, 1892)

6

CATALOGUE OF SCULPTURE.

The accession of the Townley Collection in 1805 made
necessary the erection of a special building in the garden
of the then existing Montague House, and also caused the
creation of a separate Department under Taylor Combe,
for the custody of the antiquities, which had been
previously attached to the Library.

In 1814, the Phigaleian sculptures were purchased of
the explorers1 in a public auction at Zante, and the
Museum thereby acquired its first series of sculptures
from a Greek building. A fragment, which had been lost
during the transportation of the marbles,2 was presented
by Mr. J. Spencer Stanhope in 1816.

Thomas Bruce, seventh Earl of Elgin (1766-1841),
whose collection was the next and greatest addition to the
British Museum, had been appointed British Ambassador
to the Porte in 1799. On his appointment, he resolved
to make his time of office of service to the cause of art,
and accordingly engaged a body of five architects,
draughtsmen and formatori, under Lusieri, a Neapolitan
portrait painter, to make casts, plans and drawings from
the remains in Greece, and more particularly at Athens.
While the work was in progress, Lord Elgin became aware
of the rapid destruction that was taking place of the
sculptures in Athens. The success of the British arms in
Egypt having made the disposition of the Porte favourable
to the British Ambassador, a firman was obtained which
sanctioned the removal of the sculptures. The whole
collection, formed by Lord Elgin's agents, was, after long-
negotiations, and an enquiry by a Select Committee of the
House of Commons, purchased of Lord Elgin for £35,000
in 1816. It consists of sculptures and architectural

1 See p. 270. 2 Part of No. 534.