Minneapolis Institute of Art

Vase Design

Possibly Pierre-François Hugues

Date

1766–85

Medium

Hand-colored engraving

Department

European Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

At present we are not sure which publication this print comes from. It resembles the illustrations made by Pierre François Hugues d'Hancarville for publications of Sir William Hamilton’s (1730–1803) collection of antique vases in the 1700s. Hamilton was the British ambassador to Naples from 1764 to 1800 There he amassed a great collection of antiquities, which he subsequently sold to the British Museum. Before sending the objects to London, he wanted them carefully documented. Hugues d'Hancarville prepared outline engravings which were then colored by hand in terracotta red and black to resemble the color of the vases. This style caught on, and others copied the technique.

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