Hypogæi, Or Sepulchral Caverns Of Tarquinia, The Capital Of Antient Etruria. By The Late James Byres, Esq., Of Tonley, Aberdeenshire, Nearly Fifty Years Antiquarian Resident At Rome, Prior To 1790. - Edited By Frank Howard, Author Of "The Spirit Of Shakspeare," "Sketcher's Manual," "Science Of Drawing," Etc. -
London:: Published For The Proprietor By F. Howard, 22, Tonbridge Place, New Road: And To Be Had Of P. & D. Colnaghi, Pall Mall, East; - T. Cadell, Strand; - W. Pickering, Piccadilly; And W. J. White, Brownlow Street., [1842].
Physical Description
[6] f., [41] pl.; 582 mm. (Broadsheet.)
General Note
The plates do not carry numbers, but each of the five lists of plates calls for eight plates, except the last, which calls for nine.
Contents
[T.p.] - List Of Plates In Part One (- Five) [with plates].
Responsibility Note
No plate is signed. The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography states that they were engraved by Byres's associate, Christopher Norton, from drawings by Franciszek Smuglewicz.
References
D. Ridgway, 'James Byres and the ancient State of Italy', in Atti of the 2nd International Etruscan Congress (1985) (published as Supplement to Studi Etruschi (1989), p.213-29); B. Ford, 'James Byres principal antiquarian for the English visitors to Rome', in Apollo, 99 (1974), p.446-61.
On the impact of the publication of Etruscan antiquities see the bibliographic note on Etrusco Museo Chiusino (1833).
Summary Note
No publication-date appears on the title page, but the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography states that the book was published in 1842 (although the title-page names the bookseller T. Cadell, who died in 1836). It was probably in the 1760s that Byres visited the tombs.
The first and last plates show views of the locations of the tombs. The rest show plans and sections of the tombs, interior views (some showing visitors sketching) and details of wall-paintings, sarcophagi, bas-reliefs and carved mirrors.
Provenance
The front pastedown is inscribed in pencil, 'ChE' (i.e. Charles Eastlake).
Subject
Architecture, Etruscan - Mural painting and decoration, Etruscan - Paintings, Etruscan - Sculpture, Etruscan - Bas-reliefs - Antiquities, Etruscan - Art, Etruscan - Tombs - Italy - Tuscany - Tarquinia - History
British - Archaeology - Italy - Tuscany - History - 18th century
Art history - Great Britain - 19th century
Pictorial works - Great Britain - 19th century