Sir William Hamilton (Couple with vessels and flute playing faun) Naples 1791-95. $525.00

Sir William Hamilton (Couple with vessels and flute playing faun) Naples 1791-95. 

Sir William Hamilton (1730-1803) was ambassador of Great Britain to the Kingdom of Naples, just when the city of Naples experienced its "Golden Age." Hamilton was a highly educated gentleman, fascinated with the excavations in Pompei and Herculaneum, a heavily Greek-influenced region. Hamilton became an avid collector of Greek, Roman and Etruscan antiquities. His main interest was antique vases. His first collection he sold (and partially donated) to the British Museum in London. After that he started collecting again and published, in four volumes, engravings of his new collection. The title was "Collection of Engravings from ancient vases mostly of pure Greek Workmanship discovered in sepulchers in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies."

The engravings were executed by Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbei (1751-1829), who also signed as publisher of the impressive work. The publishing happened in Naples between 1791 to 1795.

This engraving is hand-colored in typical terra-cotta and black. A former owner has added decorative paper borders in classical style. The borders are mounted along the plate marks of the engravings, thus giving them an additional decorative impression.

Copperplate engraving on laid paper with modern hand color.
Trimmed 14 x 17 inches sheet.
Good condition.