The Temple of Mercury at Baiae

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The Temple of Mercury at Baiae
The Temple of Mercury at Baiae
The Temple of Mercury at Baiae
The Trustees of the British Museum
title=Credit line
Artist
Richard Wilson (1713/14-1782)
Title
The Temple of Mercury at Baiae
Date
c.1752-56 (undated)
Medium
Brush drawing in grey wash, with black chalk
Dimensions
Metric: 345 x 474 mm
Imperial: 13 9/16 x 18 11/16 in.
Accession Number
1984,0225.5
Wilson Online Reference
D159
Description
A domed space with an oculus and smaller square opening in the ceiling and a low arch on the left. Two figures are crossing in the centre, one carrying the other on his back.
Provenance
George Guy Greville, 4th Earl of Warwick; F.R. Meatyard; purchased from John Morton Morris, 1984
Signature/inscription
Inscribed in black chalk, upper right: 'Temple of Mercury at Baja.'
Collectors' marks
[1] Lower left corner: 4th Earl of Warwick (Lugt 2600)
Verso inscriptions
[1] Mounting instructions: Wash apple Green + Topmount
[2] Notes on previous owners
Subject
The 'Temple of Mercury' is now known as the Temple of Echo, after the acoustic properties of its dome, 21.5 metres (71 ft) in diameter and the largest in the world prior to the construction of the Pantheon in AD 128. It was the swimming pool of a large bath.
More Information
Baiae, known in modern Italian as Baia, was a mineral springs and coastal resort on the north-west shore of the Gulf of Naples. It was fashionable during Antiquity, particularly towards the end of the Roman Republic, when it was believed superior to Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Capri. Notorious for its hedoniism and rumours of corruption, it was later deserted and its ruins largely submerged by local volcanic activity. The most remarkable of these are colloquially known as the Temple of Mercury, the Temple of Venus, and the Temple of Diana.
Updated by Compiler
2016-03-16 00:00:00