DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.22421#0096
32
ANTIQUITIES.
Letter II.
tribution 'of plaster casts of them over Europe, all friends of the
arts had, for the first time, the opportunity of making themselves
acquainted, by actual inspection, with works which may be indis-
putably assumed to have been executed partly by the greatest of
the Greek sculptors, Phidias himself, and partly according to his
designs and under his directions. The most celebrated antiquaries
and artists in Europe, Visconti, Canova, vied with each other in their
enthusiastic admiration of the perfection of these sculptures, which
very few of the antiques previously known approach in excellence.
In my opinion these works are as far superior to all the antique
sculptures before discovered, with very few exceptions, as the works
of Homer to the later Greek and Roman poems. The acquisition
of them by civilized Europe is, therefore, of as much importance,
with respect to the fine arts of antiquity, as it would be with re-
spect to ancient poetry, if the works of Homer had been lost, and
considerable fragments of them only found in later days in the
library of some Greek monastery.
Many Englishmen have collected objects of antiquity of all kinds
in Greece, as well as in Italy, so that a great portion of the finest
of such relics are also in England. Among the principal collectors
of such articles may be mentioned Mr. Payne Knight (especially
of original small bronzes), Messrs. Rogers, Burgon, Leake, and
Hawkins of Bignor ; the latter possesses the wonderfully beautiful
chased bronze relief found at Dodona, which represents Paris and
Helen, and is known in plaster casts to all friends of the arts.
In comparison with the great and variously directed exertions
of private individuals for the acquisition of works of art, the part
taken by the English Government has been very small. And
even this has proceeded, in the first instance, from private indivi-
duals. It was a legacy which first led to the foundation of the
British Museum in 1753 ; and the collections which have since
raised it to its present height were formed by private persons. A
public gallery of pictures was first instituted in 1816, and here
again this was formed by the purchase of one private collection,
and the legacy of two others.
In the warm interest I feel for the advance of the cause of art
in England, I have been the more delighted to observe the pro-
gress it has made during the sixteen years which have elapsed
since my first visit. Not only do I remark a great increase of
ANTIQUITIES.
Letter II.
tribution 'of plaster casts of them over Europe, all friends of the
arts had, for the first time, the opportunity of making themselves
acquainted, by actual inspection, with works which may be indis-
putably assumed to have been executed partly by the greatest of
the Greek sculptors, Phidias himself, and partly according to his
designs and under his directions. The most celebrated antiquaries
and artists in Europe, Visconti, Canova, vied with each other in their
enthusiastic admiration of the perfection of these sculptures, which
very few of the antiques previously known approach in excellence.
In my opinion these works are as far superior to all the antique
sculptures before discovered, with very few exceptions, as the works
of Homer to the later Greek and Roman poems. The acquisition
of them by civilized Europe is, therefore, of as much importance,
with respect to the fine arts of antiquity, as it would be with re-
spect to ancient poetry, if the works of Homer had been lost, and
considerable fragments of them only found in later days in the
library of some Greek monastery.
Many Englishmen have collected objects of antiquity of all kinds
in Greece, as well as in Italy, so that a great portion of the finest
of such relics are also in England. Among the principal collectors
of such articles may be mentioned Mr. Payne Knight (especially
of original small bronzes), Messrs. Rogers, Burgon, Leake, and
Hawkins of Bignor ; the latter possesses the wonderfully beautiful
chased bronze relief found at Dodona, which represents Paris and
Helen, and is known in plaster casts to all friends of the arts.
In comparison with the great and variously directed exertions
of private individuals for the acquisition of works of art, the part
taken by the English Government has been very small. And
even this has proceeded, in the first instance, from private indivi-
duals. It was a legacy which first led to the foundation of the
British Museum in 1753 ; and the collections which have since
raised it to its present height were formed by private persons. A
public gallery of pictures was first instituted in 1816, and here
again this was formed by the purchase of one private collection,
and the legacy of two others.
In the warm interest I feel for the advance of the cause of art
in England, I have been the more delighted to observe the pro-
gress it has made during the sixteen years which have elapsed
since my first visit. Not only do I remark a great increase of