Pierre-François Hugues D'Hancarville

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Pierre-François Hugues D'Hancarville is a Pseudo French pseudo-aristocrat, 1719-1805. An amateur art dealer he introduced William Hamilton to the Porcinari family whose collection of antiquities Hamilton purchased forming the basis of the collection that was subsequently sold to the British Museum. With Hamilton he produced Les Antiquités d´Hancarville in 4 volumes, a collection of vases and other antiquities from the excavations at Herculaneum and Pompeii; one of the most beautiful books of the 18th century, it was influential in informing the emerging taste for neoclassicism and inspired reproductions from pottery manufacturers such as Wedgwood.

[edit] References

• Sebestian Schutze: The Complete Collection of antiquities from the Cabinet of Sir William Hamilton, Taschen, 2004.