A catalogue of sculpture in the Department of ... - Warburg Institute

6 CATALOGUE OF SCULPTURE.The accession of the Townley Collectionin 1805 madenecessary the erection of a special building in the gardenof the then existing Montague House, and also caused thecreation of a separate Department under Taylor Combe,for the custody of the antiquities, which had beenpreviously attached to the Library.In 1814, the Phigaleian sculptures were purchased ofthe explorers ^ in a public auction at Zante, and theMuseum thereby acquired its first series of sculpturesfrom a Greek building. A fragment, which had been lostduring the transportation of themarbles,^ was presentedby Mr. J. Spencer Stanhope in 1816.Thomas Bruce, seventh Earl of Elgin (1766-1841),whose collection was the next and greatest addition to theBritish Museum, had been appointed British Ambassadorto the Porte ia 1799. On his appointment, he resolvedto make his time of office of service to the cause of art,and accordingly engaged a body of five architects,draughtsmen and formatori, under Lusieri, a Neapolitanportrait painter, to make casts, plans and drawings fromthe remains in Greece, and more particularly at Athens.While the work was in progress, Lord Elgin became awareof the rapid destruction that was taking place of thesculptures in Athens. The success of the British arms inEgypt having made the disposition of the Porte favourableto the BritishAmbassador, a firman was obtained whichsanctioned the removal of the sculptures. The wholecollection, formed by Lord Elgin's agents, was, after longnegotiations, and an enquiry by a Select Committee of theHouse of Commons, purchased of Lord Elgin for £35,000in 1816. It consists of sculptures and architectural' See p. 270. " Part of No. 534.