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Lot Essay
An Edinburgh artist, 'Grecian' Williams established his reputation and nick-name through his extended travels in Greece and Italy, from which he returned in 1818. On seeing the spectacular sites at the Acropolis, Williams wrote 'Who that has seen it, has not spoken of this building with raptures?... Instruction emanates from every part. It teaches the rules of nice proportion, of grace and beauty...On entering the temple, one is struck by the worn steps and curved or circular marks of the great doors of old, the pavement, too, that had been trodden by the luminaries of Greece! by Pericles, Phidias, Socrates, Plato, Xenophon, Demosthenes, Aristotle, &c...The whole is rich, yet pleasingly subdued, and when the evening sun illuminates the temple,...imagine how splendid it must be!' (H. Williams writing in 1817, Travels in Italy, Greece and the Ionian Islands, II, 297-302).
A highly-recognizable and important symbol of the democratic Antique world, the Acropolis in Athens dominates the cityscape as it has done since it was developed around 450-330 B.C. The Herodeion Atticon (or Odeon of Herodes Atticus) was built at the base of the Acropolis, around 161 A.D., by the Roman philosopher, teacher and politician, Herodes Atticus, in memory of his wife.
A larger watercolour of the same view, engraved by the artist for Select Views in Greece with Classical Illustrations in 1823 was sold in these Rooms, 5 July 2011, lot 181, achieving £157,250 a world record price for a work by the artist.
We are grateful to Professor Joe Rock for his help in preparing this catalogue entry.
A highly-recognizable and important symbol of the democratic Antique world, the Acropolis in Athens dominates the cityscape as it has done since it was developed around 450-330 B.C. The Herodeion Atticon (or Odeon of Herodes Atticus) was built at the base of the Acropolis, around 161 A.D., by the Roman philosopher, teacher and politician, Herodes Atticus, in memory of his wife.
A larger watercolour of the same view, engraved by the artist for Select Views in Greece with Classical Illustrations in 1823 was sold in these Rooms, 5 July 2011, lot 181, achieving £157,250 a world record price for a work by the artist.
We are grateful to Professor Joe Rock for his help in preparing this catalogue entry.