All roads lead to Rome
Country Life UK|January 03, 2024
Thomas, 14th Earl of Arundel, amassed the first large collection of classical sculptures in the 17th century. Britain's passion for antiquities has endured to this day, albeit with a different approach, as Carla Passino discovers
Carla Passino
All roads lead to Rome

PITY the Roman legionaries flung by the whims of the Emperor to Britannia, where the sky from frequent clouds and rain is dull and hazy', according to Tacitus. 'Legion', an exhibition opening on February 1 at the British Museum, explores the Roman army's life in provinces such as the oft-maligned Britain, about which the poet Florus wrote: 'I don't want to be a Caesar/Stroll about among the Britons... And endure the Scythian winters.' (Hadrian, the Caesar in question, replied tersely he would rather be himself than Florus and 'Stroll about among the taverns/ Lurk about among the cook-shops,/And endure the round fat insects'.)

But if the Romans didn't always love this country, Britain has long loved their legacy and the antiquities that go with it. Although British collectors initially lagged behind those on the Continent, Stuart patricians began closing the gap, amassing with gusto ancient coins (Prince Henry) and classical sculptures (Thomas Howard, 14th Earl of Arundel, whose namesake Marbles are now at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford). Interest in classical and other ancient artefacts boomed with the Grand Tour, continued through the 19th century (leading German classical scholar Adolf Michaelis to write 'no other country in Europe can... boast of such a wealth of Private Collections of antique works of art as England') and endures today, albeit with some changes. Lately, not least as a result of controversies over the way in which pieces were acquired in the past, 'buyers are looking for objects that have strong documented provenance,' explains Claudio Corsi of Christie's. 'It provides greater transparency in the legitimate marketplace for these magnificent objects.'

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM COUNTRY LIFE UKView all
Tales as old as time
Country Life UK

Tales as old as time

By appointing writers-in-residence to landscape locations, the National Trust is hoping to spark in us a new engagement with our ancient surroundings, finds Richard Smyth

time-read
2 mins  |
November 13, 2024
Do the active farmer test
Country Life UK

Do the active farmer test

Farming is a profession, not a lifestyle choice’ and, therefore, the Budget is unfair

time-read
3 mins  |
November 13, 2024
Night Thoughts by Howard Hodgkin
Country Life UK

Night Thoughts by Howard Hodgkin

Charlotte Mullins comments on Moght Thoughts

time-read
2 mins  |
November 13, 2024
SOS: save our wild salmon
Country Life UK

SOS: save our wild salmon

Jane Wheatley examines the dire situation facing the king of fish

time-read
3 mins  |
November 13, 2024
Into the deep
Country Life UK

Into the deep

Beneath the crystal-clear, alien world of water lie the great piscean survivors of the Ice Age. The Lake District is a fish-spotter's paradise, reports John Lewis-Stempel

time-read
4 mins  |
November 13, 2024
It's alive!
Country Life UK

It's alive!

Living, burping and bubbling fermented masses of flour, yeast and water that spawn countless loaves—Emma Hughes charts the rise and rise) of sourdough starters

time-read
4 mins  |
November 13, 2024
There's orange gold in them thar fields
Country Life UK

There's orange gold in them thar fields

A kitchen staple that is easily taken for granted, the carrot is actually an incredibly tricky customer to cultivate that could reduce a grown man to tears, says Sarah Todd

time-read
3 mins  |
November 13, 2024
True blues
Country Life UK

True blues

I HAVE been planting English bluebells. They grow in their millions in the beechwoods that surround us—but not in our own garden. They are, however, a protected species. The law is clear and uncompromising: ‘It is illegal to dig up bluebells or their bulbs from the wild, or to trade or sell wild bluebell bulbs and seeds.’ I have, therefore, had to buy them from a respectable bulb-merchant.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 13, 2024
Oh so hip
Country Life UK

Oh so hip

Stay the hand that itches to deadhead spent roses and you can enjoy their glittering fruits instead, writes John Hoyland

time-read
4 mins  |
November 13, 2024
A best kept secret
Country Life UK

A best kept secret

Oft-forgotten Rutland, England's smallest county, is a 'Notswold' haven deserving of more attention, finds Nicola Venning

time-read
3 mins  |
November 13, 2024