Superb Pair of Framed Prints from Sir William Hamilton. Hamilton was the British Envoy to the Kingdom of Naples and the Two Sicilies from 1764 to 1798; a renowned collector of antiquities and student of the natural world whose fascination with classical art had considerable influence on artistic life in Britain in the eighteenth century. His collection of antiquities included objects from the recently excavated ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum, which he published. The first part of his collection was offered to the British Parliament for sale in 1772, and entered the collections of the British Museum for £8,400. The British Museum subsequently received gifts of antiquities and natural history specimens from Hamilton. The 'Second Collection' of vases was lost with the wreck of HMS Colossus off the Scilly Isles in December, 1798. Some 30,000 vessel fragments have since been recovered and entered the collections of the British Museum. Hamilton was a trustee of the British Museum. These images are from the lost and recovered Vase collection.
Frame Dimensions Height 23.25" (59cm) Width 23.25" (59cm) €945 Pair