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The 5th Earl of Exeter as Grand Tourist and Collector

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 August 2013

Hugh Brigstocke
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Papers of the British School at Rome , Volume 72 , November 2004 , pp. 331 - 356
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Copyright © British School at Rome 2004

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References

1 Reeve, J., under ‘Grand Tour’, in The Dictionary of Art XIII (London, 1996), 297Google Scholar.

2 Lassels, R., The Voyage of Italy or a Compleat Journey through Italy (Paris, 1670)Google Scholar. For Lassels, see Chaney, E., The Grand Tour and the Great Rebellion (Geneva, 1985)Google Scholar.

3 Moryson, Fynes, Itinerary (London, 1617)Google Scholar.

4 Sandys, George, A Relation of a Journey begun An: Dom. 1619 (London, 1615)Google Scholar.

5 Howarth, D., Lord Arundel and his Circle (London, 1985), 35ff.Google Scholar

6 Coryate, Thomas, Crudities (London, 1611Google Scholar; reprinted in two vols Glasgow, 1905), II, 9. For the identification of Coryate's Palladian source (Giovanni da Capugnano's edition of Schott's Itinerario), see E. Chaney, ‘The real discovery of Palladio’, Yorkshire Georgian Society Annual Report for 1995, 43-5.

7 Coryate, Crudities (above n. 6), I, 401–3.

8 Burnet, Gilbert, Some Letters Containing An Account of what Seemed Most Remarkable in Travelling through Switzerland, Italy, Some Parts of Germany, etc. in the Years 1685 and 1686 (Rotterdam, 1687), 178–221Google Scholar. Burnet was particularly concerned that the French would soon have emptied Italy of all its artistic treasures. As he wrote (p. 246): ‘but it is very likely, that a great part of their movable Wealth will be ere long carried into France; for as soon as any Picture or Statue of great value is offered to be sold, those that are imployed by the King of France, do presently buy it up, so that as that King hath already, the greatest collection of Pictures that is in Europe, he will very probably in a few years more, bring together the chief Treasures of Italy’.

9 Balfour, Andrew, Letters Written to a Friend … Containing Excellent Directions and Advice For Travelling thro' France and Italy (London, 1700)Google Scholar. For Rome he particularly recommended the Antichità di Roma di Andrea Fulvio (1543), but in Naples he turned to Virgil. Balfour, who was founder of the Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh, also practised as a physician. According to Pine-Coffin, R.S., Bibliography of British and American Travel to Italy … (Florence, 1974), 85–6Google Scholar: ‘Balfour spent fifteen years on the continent studying medicine and botany. These letters, containing general travelling instructions, were written about 1668 to Lord Patrick Murray of Levistone, and were published by the author's son’.

10 Addison, Joseph, Remarks on Several Parts of Italy (London, 1705)Google Scholar.

11 See Lewis, W.G. (ed.), Horace Walpole's Correspondence (Oxford/New Haven, 1937–1983), XIII, 213Google Scholar. See also Ingamells, J. in Wilton, A. and Bignamini, I. (eds), Grand Tour. The Lure of Italy in the Eighteenth Century (exhibition catalogue, Tate Gallery) (London, 1996), 21Google Scholar.

12 For the French response and the relevant bibliography see an exceptionally interesting essay by Langdon, Helen, ‘The imaginative geographies of Claude Lorraine’, in Langdon, H. and Chard, C. (eds), Transports, Travel, Pleasure and Imaginative Geography, 1600–1830 (New Haven/London, 1996), 151–78Google Scholar.

13 Raymond, John, Il Mercurio Italico Communicating a Voyage Made through Italy in the Yeares 1646 and 1647 (London, 1648)Google Scholar.

14 Richardson, Jonathan, An Account of Some of the Statues, Bas-reliefs, Drawings and Pictures in Italy etc. with Remarks (London, 1722)Google Scholar.

15 Samber, Robert, Roma Illustrata: or a Description of the most Beautiful Pieces of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, Antique and Modern, at and near Rome (London, 1722; second edition 1723)Google Scholar. This was, however, a translation from an earlier French guidebook.

16 Cochin, C.-N., Voyage d'Italie ou recueil de notes sur les ouvrages depeinture et de sculpture, qu'on voit dans les principales villes d'Italie (Paris, 1758)Google Scholar.

17 Haskell, Francis, in Wilton, A. and Bignamini, I. (eds), Grand Tour. The Lure of Italy in the Eighteenth Century (exhibition catalogue, Tate Gallery) (London, 1996), 10Google Scholar.

18 See Till, E., The Travelling Earl (exhibition pamphlet, Burghley House, 1988), 2Google Scholar. For an exhaustive analysis of the Exeter family's finances and building programmes, see further Till, E., A Family Affair. Stamford and the Cecils (Rugby, 1990)Google Scholar. I am further indebted to Dr Till, Honorary Archivist at Burghley House, for much useful information drawn from the Exeter family archives. See also Somerville, J., ‘Burghley: the house and the family, a history’, in the exhibition catalogue, Italian Paintings from Burghley House (Alexandria, 1995), 15–27Google Scholar.

19 Till, Travelling Earl (above, n. 18), 2.

20 Wright, Edward, Some Observations made in Travelling through France, Italy, &c in the Years 1720, 1721, and 1722 (London, 1730), 429Google Scholar. He added: ‘His Zeal was great for gaining Proselytes to the Romish Church; and he allow'd considerable Stipends to some of our Nation, that had been brought over by that Expedient’.

21 SirLevey, Michael, Pictures in the Collection of Her Majesty the Queen. The Later Italian Pictures (Cambridge, 1991 2), xxxi and 70–1Google Scholar.

22 Levey, Pictures (above, n. 21), xxviii–xxix.

23 Baldinucci, F., Notizie de'professori del disegno (Florence, 1681–1728; edition of 1845–7), 500Google Scholar.

24 Impey, O., Four Centuries of Decorative Arts from Burghley House (exhibition catalogue, Cincinnati Art Museum, Ohio, and four other participating museums, Art Services International) (Alexandria, 1998), 42 and 192, no. 93 A and B.Google Scholar

25 Divitis, G., ‘I due Recco di Burghley House. Osservazioni sul collezionismo inglese e sul mercato delle opere d'arte nella Napoli del Seicento’, Prospettive Settanta 3–4 (1982), 376–93Google Scholar.

26 See Waterhouse, E., ‘A note on British collecting of Italian pictures in the later seventeenth century’, Burlington Magazine 102 (February 1960), 54–8Google Scholar, with references to Robert, 2nd Earl of Sunderland, Isham, and John Cecil, 5th Earl of Exeter. For portraits of Englishmen by Maratti, see further Waterhouse, E., Italian Art in Britain (exhibition catalogue, Royal Academy) (London, 1960)Google Scholar, cat. nos. 12, 30, 34 and 38. See Bellori, G.P. (ed. Piacenti, M.), Vita di Guido Reni, Andrea Sacchi e Carlo Maratti, MS 1695, cc. 189–90 (Rome, 1942), 98Google Scholar as follows: ‘Seguitò a fare non pochi Ritratti de'Sig.ri Inglesi, che venivano a Roma, riportandone liberalissimi premj, e tra questi il Mylord di Sunderland in piedi appoggiato nobilm.te ad un basamento de marmo, ed il Mylord Roscomen parimente in piedi in atto de accenar con una mano di Commando, l'uno e l'altro divisato vagamente, come dicono in abito Pittoresco all'antica. Fece il Ritratto del Conte Exceter, e l'altro del Cavalier Tomaso Isham a sedere col Ritratto in piccolo di una dama in mano. Ritrasse il Sig.r Carlo Fox ed il Sig.r Gio: Herbest [sic] studiosis.mo della Pittura, che invaghiotosi del dipingere di Carlo, voile con il Ritratto due mezze figure di sua mano, le due Penitenti: Madalena al deserto, che contempla la Croce presentatagli dagl'Angeli, e la Samaritana al Pozzo avanti il Sig.re'. There may be confusion in Bellori's account. The two religious pictures said to be for Herbert match exactly two canvases at Burghley. For Isham, see Burdon, G. ‘Sir Thomas Isham, an English collector in Rome in 1677–78’, Italian Studies 15 (1960)CrossRefGoogle Scholar; also Isham, G. and Burdon, G., ‘Sir Thomas Isham, an English Collector in Rome, 1677–8’ (exhibition catalogue, Central Art Gallery) (Northampton, 1969)Google Scholar.

27 Waterhouse, Italian Art in Britain (above, n. 26), 54–8.

28 An Inventory of the Goods in Burghley House Belonging to the Right Honble. John Earl of Exeter and Ann Countesse of Exeter. Taken August 21st 1688. MSS, Burghley archives. A transcription of all the references to pictures in this inventory is published in the exhibition catalogue Italian Paintings from Burghley House (above, n. 18), 159–69.

29 See Cruickshanks, E. et al. , ‘Divisions in the House of Lords on the transfer of the Crown and other issues, 1689–94: ten new lists’, Bulletin of the Institute of Historical Research 13 (1980), 83Google Scholar.

30 I am obliged to Ms E. Cruickshanks and Prof. Jeremy Black for help in tracing this diary; to the owner Ms M. Partridge for permission to publish extracts from her transcript, using original spelling and punctuation; and to the friendly collaboration of Mrs Alice Thomas, who at the time of my lecture was transcribing the manuscript into a more accessible modern language edition, unencumbered by editorial notes, for distribution by the Oundle Museum. See now Thomas, A., Richard Creed's Journal of the Grand Tour, 1699–1700 (Oundle, 2002)Google Scholar. See also Black, J. ‘Savoy — Piedmont in 1699’, Studi Piemontesi 15 (March 1986), 189–93Google Scholar.

31 At Turin Creed recorded that ‘ye Governour bought my horse for 40 Pistolls for ye Duke and he gave me a fine sord; ye coach yt was broke was mended hear. Mr Tanner maid the Marrons alow but 10 pistols for mending it altho it cost above twentey; my Lord Exeter lent me a good horse to Roome …’.

32 ‘A list of ye English Gentery who were at Rome at ye opning of ye holy dore ye: 24: of December: 1699: in ye time of Pope Inocent ye 12th. My Lord and ladey Exeter, Ladey Bettey, Mr. Wm., Mr. Char: Cecills; ladey Salsburey, Mr. Char. Cecil, Ld. Plimouth, Ld. Mounthermon; Mr. Bruce; Mr. Ratliff; Mr. Erinton; Mr. Stoner; Mr. Talbot; Sr. Philip Molinex; Mr Belin; Mr. Gibson; Mr. Jocelyne; Mr. Ellis; Mr. Backwell; Mr. Musters; Mr. Worsley; Captn Cecill; Mr. Eyre; Mr Elson; Mr Charlton; Mr. Dacours; Mr. Wansford; Mr. Dickens; Mr. Stanope; Mr. Ashley; Mr. Colson; Mr. Jackson; Mr. Marting; Mr. Wells; Mr. Cope; Mr. Skinner; Mr. <Pulbring>; & my self. Rchd: Creed.’

33 See Brejon, A., in Seicento. Le siècle de Caravage dans les collections françaises (exhibition catalogue, Grand Palais) (Paris, 1989), 112–13Google Scholar, cat. no. 5.

34 Creed noted the English at Rome in Holy Week: ‘Aprill 1700. The names of ye English Gentillemen yt were at Rome ye Holy week & not at opning ye Holy Dore. My Lord Canoule, my Ld. Hay, Mr. Ouerkerckes, Mr. Edgcomb, Mr. Pellam, Lord Hasting, Mr. Harvey, Mr. Nevills, Mr. Hamden, Mr. Hubland, Mr. Tey. Captn Wade. Mr. Wagstaff. Sir G. Macksfilld’.

35 The descriptions of the English and Scottish Colleges are as follows: ‘English colig of jesuites. Here is a very good Colig which ye English jesuites have; their are maney young english jentlemen students in it; their is a younger brother of ye Duke of Norfolcke, the present Rector is father Mansfield who is a good man; & a fine jentleman.

Scoch colig of Jesuits. Here is a good colidg of Scoch jesuites & studentes in it ye Rector father Forbus.

Irish Capushines. Here is a Convent of Irish Capushins, they are a parcill of sad ignorant, dull, illitorate, begotted retches, & to say ye truth of them dont know their right hand from their left, they are great lyers & rogues, but very silley ones, father Porter is their rector’.

36 For Maratti's artistic relationship with Monnot, see Mena, M., in The Dictionary of Art XX (London, 1996), 378Google Scholar. The author offers no evidence for her interesting statement that Maratti also collaborated with Monnot on the Exeter tomb. Cf. Pascoli, L., Vite de' pittori, scultori, ed architetti moderni (Rome, 1736; edition Perugia, 1992), 947Google Scholar. See further Honour, H., ‘English patrons and Italian sculptors’, The Connoisseur 141 (May 1958), 220–1Google Scholar.

37 Dryden, John, A Voyage to Sicily and Malta Written by Mr. John Dryden, Junior, when he Accompanied Mr. Cecill in that Expedition in the Years 1700 and 1701 (London, 1776)Google Scholar. See Chaney, E., The Evolution of the Grand Tour (London/Portland, 1998; second edition 2000), 20–2Google Scholar. Here he described Dryden's volume, if truly written at the time of travel, as a key document in the history of taste, on account of the author's vivid feeling for romantic landscape, particularly at Capri, on the outward journey.

38 Richard Creed who had been travelling independently from the Exeters in Italy reached Paris in July 1700, before going to Portugal. On 7 August, at ‘Esey’, he noted: ‘My Lord Exeter on his return from Italy took a little house here; this place is about a league from Paris; my Lord loged here to be privat & to see all yt was to be scene in & about Paris’. This might suggest that the Exeters had moved on, although it is often said that Lord Exeter had died at Issy. The precise circumstances of his death, said to be from an excess of fruit, are not known. There is no clear indication that Creed already knew of Lord Exeter's death before setting out for Spain and Portugal on 27 September 1700.

39 Till, A Family Affair (above, n. 18), 2–3.

40 See Haskell, F., Patrons and Painters: a Study in the Relations between Italian Art and Society in the Age of the Baroque (London, 1963), 198Google Scholar. See also Chaney, Evolution (above, n. 37), 314–18.

41 Cooper, Anthony Ashley, 3rd Earl of Shaftesbury, Characteristicks of Men, Manners, Opinions and Times (London, 1711; second edition 1714), II, 404Google Scholar.