xx The Barberini or Portland Vase 269 



Portland ; then by Sir Joseph Banks, President of the 

 Koyal Society ; by the Earl of Leicester, President of the 

 Society of Antiquaries ; and by Sir Joshua Reynolds, 

 President of the Eoyal Academy of Arts. Sir Joshua 

 was pleased to add that he " can venture to declare it a 

 correct and faithful imitation, both in regard to the 

 general effect and the most minute detail of the parts." 



Wedgwood had the Portland Vase in his posses- 

 sion for more than twelve months, and during that 

 time he made fifty copies, which were subscribed for 

 at fifty guineas each; yet the sum thus realised fell 

 far short of his actual outlay in making them. Wedg- 

 wood himself regarded it as his chef-d'oeuvre. Like his 

 other works, his copy of the Vase greatly increased 

 in value after his death. At Mr. Eoger's sale, one of 

 them was sold for 127 guineas; and on the 24th of 

 March 1892 another copy, belonging to the late Mr. 

 Holt of Liverpool, was sold at Christie's for 205 

 guineas. 



When Sir William Hamilton next visited England, 

 it was partly for the purpose of seeing the copy of the 

 Portland Vase. After his visit to Etruria, he sent the 

 following letter to Wedgwood : 



" Newcastle-under-Lyme, 23rd July 1790. Sir 

 Not having had the good fortune to meet with you in 

 London, I determined to take Etruria on my way to 

 Derbyshire, where I am going to make a visit. I am 

 now just returned from your house, and much dis- 

 appointed at not having had the pleasure of finding 



