The Life and Correspondence of Sir Thomas Lawrence, Kt Volume 1 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1831 edition. Excerpt: ... chapter ix. A National Gallery of Art.--The Elgin Marbles--The Committee of the House of Commons.--Discrepant Evidence before the Committee.--Inconsistencies of Artists. The Report of the Committee.--The Townleyan Marbles.--The Egina Marbles refused by the English and bought by the Bavarian Government.--The Phygalian Marbles.--Parsimony of Mr. Perceval.--Lord Byron's irrational attack on Lord Elgin.--Evidence of Mr. Nollekens; of Mr. Flaxman; of Mr. Westmacott; of Mr. Chantrey; of Mr. Rossi; of Sir Thomas Lawrence and Mr. West.--Dr. Johnson's observations on Sculpture.--The evidence of Amateur-witnesses.--Mr. R. P. Knight's opinions.--The Earl of Westmorland's anecdote of George iii.--The value of antique statuary in England.--Sums paid for Statues by the Marquis of Lansdowne and Mr. R. P. Knight.--Continued controversies respecting the Theseus and Ilissus. It was not until the year 1816, that the English Government can be said to have listened to any proposal to form a National Gallery of Art. Should the theory ever be established, that academies and galleries retard, instead of promote the progress of the Arts, England will have the fame of being the last of the civilized nations that inflicted this injury. In 1816, a Committee of the House of Commons was appointed to examine into the qualities and value of the Elgin Marbles, and to report to the House upon the expediency of purchasing them, as a nucleus of a National Gallery of Sculpture. The proceedings of the Committee, and the evidence taken by it, afford an abundant scope for the ridiculous. More contradictory testimony was never produced in what lawyers technically call, a Horse Cause. Perhaps no adage was ever more false than de gustibus non est disputandum, for the disputes...