HAMILTON, William, after HUGUES, Pierre-François, Collection of Etruscan, Greek and Roman antiquities from the cabinet of the Hon. W. Hamilton, Naples, 1766-1767.
[Naples, 1766 – 67]
£ 20,000
Aquatint engraving in black and terra-cotta ink, 38 ½ x 26 ½ in. (98.5 x 67.5 cm.) overall, framed. 2 out of these 9 are of a smaller size: ca. 20 x 24 in. (50 x 60 cm), overall. Antique style, golden frames of wood. Sir William Hamilton was sent to Naples as chief British envoy to the Bourbon King Ferdinand IV. Inspired by the cultural heritage of Italy, Hamilton developed a great passion for the study of antiquities, and soon embarked on a project to publish illustrations of the archeological finds of the time.