The Destination Of Works Of Art And The Use To Which They Are Applied, Considered With Regard To Their Influence On The Genius And Taste Of Artists, And The Sentiment Of Amateurs. [Epigraph] Translated From The French By Henry Thomson, R.A.
[Considérations morales sur la destination des oeuvres de l'art., English., Thomson., 1821.]
Imprint
London:: John Murray, Albemarle Street., 1821.
Physical Description
viii, 116 p.; 175 mm. (Octavo.)
Contents
[T.p.] - Introduction - Preface By The Author - [Text];[colophon].
Responsibility Note
The author is not named on the title page, but the Introduction begins, 'Mr. Quatremere de Quincy, the author of the following pages ...'.
The printer is named on the title-page verso and in the colophon: 'London: Printed by C. Roworth, Bell-yard, Temple-bar.'
References
A. Potts, 'Political attitudes and the rise of historicism in art theory', in A. hist., 1 (1978), p.191-213; R. Schneider, Quatremère de Quincy et son intervention dans les arts, 1788-1830 (1910).
C. Duncan, Civilising rituals: inside public art Museums (1995); T. Bennett, The Birth of the Museum (1995); A. McClellan, Inventing the Louvre (1994); E. Hoooper-Greenhill, Museums and the shaping of knowledge (1992); G. Kapner, Die Kunst in Geschichte und Gesellschaft (1992); D. Sherman, Worthy monuments: art Museums and the politics of culture in nineteenth-century France (1989); S. Price, Primitive art in civilized places (1989).
Summary Note
The work had been published in French in 1815.
Here Quatremère de Quincy voices his reservations concerning the formation of museums - arguing against the removal of works of art from their original contexts, where they more completely express the values of their society. He had already objected to A. Lenoir's removal of Christian works of art from churches, and to Napoleon's expropriation of works of art from Italy and elsewhere.
Provenance
The title page is inscribed in ink, 'Bequest of Sr. Aug. Callcott'. The front loose endpaper is inscribed in ink, 'To Augustus Wall Callcott Esqr. R.A. with the translator's best regards.'
Binding Note
19th-century brown papered boards; white paper spine-label lettered 'Works Of Art Considered'.
Subject
Art - Works of art - Art and state - Art and society - Influence - Museums - Government policy - France - Great Britain - History - 19th century
Pamphlets - Essays - Translations into English - Translations from French - Great Britain - 19th century