Antiquity observed : the Jonathan Richardsons (senior & junior) on the sculpture of Greece and Rome
Date
1996
Authors
Bedi, Shailoo
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Abstract
In 1721, Jonathan Richardson junior, son of the English portrait painter Jonathan Richardson senior visited Italy and while on his trip, he kept extensive records of the paintings and sculptures he viewed. Upon his return to England, Jonathan junior, in collaboration with his father, wrote a travel journal that was published in 1722 called An Account of Some of the Statues, Bas-Reliefs, Drawings, and Pictures in Italy, etc ... with Remarks. The journal consists of the Richardsons' descriptions of fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth century Italian and Northern European painting as well as classical sculpture, but for this thesis I have only focused on the classical pieces. The Richardsons' remarks on classical sculpture was significant for their time because only a few authors examined ancient art for its artistic value.
The introductory discussion examines the lack of twentieth-century scholarship on the Richardson journal with regard to its relevance to Grand Tour literature, early contributions to the study of classical sculpture, and Jonathan senior's art theoretical contributions. Chapter one outlines the significance of the classical world in late seventeenth and early eighteenth century Britain, illustrating its influence on the British education curriculum, the academic debate between the Ancients and Moderns, art collecting, and popular literature. This background information indicates the importance of classical literature, art, and history on British society, and how this fascination with the ancients led to travel to Italy. Chapter two is a survey of six British travel journals, which provides a useful context for the Richardsons' account.
This comparative examination reveals the Richardsons' different and original approach to classical sculpture. Chapter three includes a biography of the Richardsons and a description of the construction of their journal. Chapter four focuses on the Richardsons' observations of classical sculpture through the analysis of eight case studies. Chapter five considers the relationship between the Richardsons and Johann Joachim Winckelmann's ideas and conclusions about ancient art. The Conclusion of this thesis summarizes the contents of rhe chapters and discusses the importance and value p laced on the Richardsons' account in terms of its intended audience, the eighteenth-century readership.