The pleasures of antiquity : British collectors of Greece and Rome

Abstract

By the 19th century, connoisseurs from the British Isles had assembled the richest collections of classical antiquities outside Rome. The galleries they created to house the spectacular Greek and Roman statues, ornaments, vases, bronzes and gems were in many instances designed to be as magnificent as the artworks themselves. This is an examination of how the great British antiquities collections were put together and displayed, from Lord Arundel's collection of marbles in the 17th century to the Grand Tour acquisitions of the 18th century and the greatest art acquisition of all time, that of the Elgin Marbles from the Acropolis. Presenting a comprehensive history of the collecting of antiquities in Great Britain, Jonathan Scott gives portraits of the principal collectors, describes the mechanics of the art trade and collecting, and takes us to beautiful sculpture galleries that were created by such distinguished architects as Robert Adam and Jeffry Wyatville. With illustrations of the interiors of collectors' houses, the work presents in detail the story of private British antiquities collectors and their truly remarkable collections.

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