Etching and aquatint by Paul Sandby, after a drawing by William Pars, depicting the ruins at Troas, a historical site in Turkey. Great Britain, ca. 1779-1780.

Etching and aquatint depicting a view of a historical site in Turkey. Lettered with title, date, and artist's and publisher's names.

Purchased with the assistance of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, Art Fund, Shell International and the Friends of the V&A

Sandby applied to the Society of Dilettanti for permission to aquatint Pars's views in 1776 and 1777, and the set of eleven (possibly twelve) were probably complete in 1780.
They were also engraved for Richard Chandler, Ionian Antiquities; or Ruins of Magnificent & Famous Buildings in Ionia, published by the Society of Dilettanti over a number of years (Vol.I, 1769;
Vol.II, 1797; three further volumes in 1821, 1840 and 1881). See Clay, pp.x xi and pp.xxxvii xlii. See also Andrew Wilton, ‘William Pars and his work in Asia Minor’, in Clay, pp.xxi xxxvi. Seventeen of the original watercolours by Pars are now in the British Musem (P & D).

Sandby applied to the Society of Dilettanti for permission to aquatint Pars's views in 1776 and 1777, and the set of eleven (possibly twelve) were probably completed in 1780. They were also engraved for Richard Chandler's, 'Ionian Antiquities' or 'Ruins of Magnificent & Famous Buildings in Ionia', published by the Society of Dilettanti over a number of years (Vol.I, 1769; Vol.II, 1797; three further volumes in 1821, 1840 and 1881).

SP.447