SCULPTURE AND ARCHITECTURE OF ATHENS. 540 



On this suggestion, lord Elgin proposed to his majesty's go. 

 vernment, that they should send out English artists of known emi- 

 nence, capable of collecting this information in the most perfect 

 manner ; but the prospect appeared of too doubtful an iss-uo for 

 ministers to engage in the expence attending it. Lord Elgin then 

 endeavoured to engage some of these artists at his own charge ; but 

 the value of their time was far beyond his means. When, however, 

 he reached Sicily, on the recommendation of Sir William Hamilton, 

 he was so fortunate as to prevail on Don Tita Lusieri, one of the 

 best general painters in Europe, of groat knowledge in the arts, 

 infinite taste, and most scrupulously exact in copying any subject 

 he is to represent, to undertake the execution of this plan ; and 

 Mr. Hamilton, who was then accompanying lord Elgin to 

 Constantinople, immediately went with Mr. Lusieri to Rome ; 

 where, in consequence of the late revolutions in Italy, they were 

 enabled to engage two of the most eminent formatori to make the 

 road reform! for the casts : Signior Balestra, the first architect there, 

 along with Ittar, a young man of great talent, to undertake the ar- 

 chitectural part of the plan ; and one Theodore, a Calmouk, who 

 had distinguished himself during several years at Rome, in the ca- 

 pacity of figure painter. 



After much difficulty, lord Elgin obtained permission from the 

 Turkish government to establish these six artists at Athens ; where 

 they prosecuted the business of their several departments during 

 three years, acting on one general system, with the advantage of 

 mutual control, and under the general superintendance of M. Lu- 

 sieri. They at length completed lord Elgin's plan in all its parts. 



" Accordingly, every monument, of which there are any re- 

 mains in Athens, has been thus most carefully and minutely mea. 

 sured ; and, from the rough draughts of the architects, (all of 

 which are preserved, finished drawings have been made of the plans, 

 elevations, and details of the most remarkable objects ; in which 

 the Calmouk has restored and inserted all the sculpture, with 

 exquisite taste and ability. He has beside drawn, with astonishing 

 accuracy all the bas. reliefs on the several temples, in the precise 

 state of decay and mutilation in which they at present exist. 



Most of the bas-reliefs, and nearly all the characteristic features of 

 architecture, in the various monuments at Athens, have been 

 moulded, and the moulds of them have been brought to London. 



Besides the architecture and sculpture at Athens, all remains 



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