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| Artist: |
Henry Hudson (fl. 1782-1793) after Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792) |
| Title: | Sir William Hamilton, 1787 |
| Description: | Mezzotint |
Soon after becoming minister at Naples in 1766, Hamilton bought his famous collection of Greek vases. His ensuing catalogue in four volumes entitled, Antiquités étrusques grecques et romaines, set a standard for the study of classical archaeology. Hamilton's later observations on volcanoes and earthquakes prompted Walpole to remark, "He I believe is putting up volcanoes in his own country." His collections of volcanic earths and minerals, together with his vases, were acquired by the British Museum as the basis for its department of Greek and Roman antiquities.