BOOK III, RECON- AND PRO- MR. OLDFIELD'S PROJECT OF STRUCTION continued. SIXTH GREEK GREEK tal, facing the great Greek gallery, might stand the semi-archaic Apollo, from Byzantium. XXV. Sixth Greek or Phigaleian Room, thirty-eight feet by twentyfour.-Here would be the casts from the Temple of Theseus, and the sculptures and casts from the Temple of Wingless Victory, both of the middle of the fifth century, B.C.; also the Phigaleian collection, which is a somewhat later production of the same school. The friezes, arranged in two rows, would just fill the room. XXVI. Seventh Greek or Parthenon Room.-Here would commence (1858 1860) the grand suite of galleries for large sculptures, of which the general breadth would be forty-two feet, and the height from thirty to thirtyfive feet. By its side would run a secondary suite, twenty feet wide, and from fifteen to twenty feet high, for minor specimens, of which the interest generally is rather archæological than artistic. These latter objects are both more conveniently classified, and more favourably seen, in small rooms; if placed in large galleries, beside grand monumental works, they lose importance themselves, whilst they fritter away the effect of what is really more valuable. The Seventh Greek Room, which is two hundred and forty-one feet long, would contain only the remains of the Parthenon; which might be arranged as indicated in the Plan, so as at once to keep the pedimental groups and the frieze from interfering with each other, and to distinguish, more accurately than is now done, the original connection or disconnection of the several slabs of the frieze. As we possess the entire frieze from the east end of the temple, and casts of the entire frieze from the west, these two are here arranged opposite each other, towards the middle of the two side walls of the room. On either side are the slabs from the north and south flanks of the temple, which are mostly disconnected. In front of the casts from the west is a proposed full-sized model of part of the entablature, supported by one original and five restored capitals, with the upper parts of their shafts, and incorporating ten of the metopes, so as to explain their original combination with the architecture. The total height of this model might be about eighteen feet. The metopes not included in it should be attached to the wall opposite, over the frieze. The finest of the pedimental groups would face the grand entrance from the Lycian Gallery, through which the whole might be seen in one view, from any distance less than forty-eight feet. If it were desired to retain the two small models of the Parthenon in the room, they might stand near the south end. EIGHTH GREEK NINTH GREEK ROOM. XXVII. Eighth Greek or Erechtheum Room, sixty-five feet by twentysix, for monuments of the era between Phidias and Scopas, of which the principal are the remains of the Erechtheum. XXVIII. Ninth Greek, or Mausoleum Room, one hundred and twenty feet in length, forty-two in breadth, and eighty across the transept. BOOK III, STRUCTORS JECTORS. Here would be, 1. The marbles procured by Lord STRATFORD and Mr. NEWTON, from the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus; in the west transept, the group from the quadriga, and in the southern part of the room the other important sculptural and architectural remains of the building, AND PROincluding the frieze. 2. In the east transept, the colossal lion from Cnidus, with a few other sculptures of the same school. 3. In the MR. northern part of the room, the Xanthian Ionic monument, here placed for comparison with the remains of the Mausoleum. The whole upper portion RECONof this monument, commencing with the higher of the two friezes which STRUCTION (1858-1860)surrounded the original base, might be reconstructed, though not restored, and would form a striking termination to the vista through the galleries. The lower frieze might be arranged against the adjoining walls of the room. OLDFIELD'S PROJECT OF continued. ROOM. XXIX. Tenth Greek Room.-Having thus passed through the great TENTH monumental series of Greek sculptures in chronological order, the GREEK visitor would return south by the side rooms, containing minor remains of the same school. The Tenth Greek Room would be forty-two feet by twenty, and would contain the latest of the smaller sculptures. XXX. Eleventh Greek Room, thirty-three feet by twenty.-This should ELEVENTH be appropriated to the small fragments from the Mausoleum, which would GREEK thus be in immediate connection with its larger sculptures, without impairing their grandeur of effect. ROOM. TEENTH XXXI, XXXII. Twelfth and Thirteenth Greek Rooms, together one TWELFTH hundred and thirty-five feet in length and twenty in breadth.-The AND THIRexact position of the wall separating these rooms might be reserved till GREEK the arrangement of their contents was settled. In one might be archi- Rooms. tectural fragments, from buildings not represented in the large galleries; in the other, small tablets, votive offerings, altars, and other minor sculptures. ROOM. XXXIII. Fourteenth Greek or Sepulchral Room, ninety-three feet by FOURTEENTH eighteen. Here would be all the Greek sepulchral monuments now in GREEK the basement. The casts from the sculptured tomb at Myra, of which the style is more Greek than Lycian, might also be here placed, as indicated in the plan, in case it should be thought desirable to remove them from the Lycian Room, though the expediency of this transfer may perhaps be doubted. Wherever placed, these casts ought to be so put together as to explain the true arrangement of the originals. [Then follows a Summary of the Accommodation provided in the Plan for Greek Sculptures, amounting to a superficial area of twenty-seven thousand four hundred and ten square feet, and to two thousand one hundred and ninety-one lineal feet of wall-space.] XXXIV. Etruscan Room.-The next parallel on the ground floor ETRUSCAN would be devoted to the monuments of ancient Italy. The earliest are RooM. the Etruscan, which, being altogether taken from tombs, would properly BOOK III, Chap. VII. RECON STRUCTORS AND PRO- MR. PROJECT OF (1858-1860)- FIRST GRECOROMAN ROOM. SECOND GRECO ROMAN be placed adjacent, on the one side to the Greek, on the other to the Roman, sepulchral collections. The principal portion of the Etruscan Room would be fifty-five feet by forty, with additional recesses at the south end, the whole about twenty feet high. Two rows of pilasters would divide the room into three compartments, the central for the gangway, the other two to be fitted up as a series of tombs, of which the sides would be formed of the mural restorations, with fac-similes of paintings from Corneto and Vulci. Within these restored tombs would be such sarcophagi as we possess, found in the tombs themselves. The fac-similes of the painted roofs of two of the tombs might be fixed above them, at such a height as not to obstruct the light. In the central compartment, which contains six shallow recesses between the pilasters, might be monuments from various tombs other than those here restored. XXXV. Staircase Room, forty feet by thirty, and of the same height as the three united stories of the western galleries.-Four successive flights of steps would be required to reach each floor. The landings between the first and second, and between the third and fourth flights, might each be supported by Caryatid or Atlantic figures, which would give the whole composition an ornamental effect, as seen from the east side. Beneath one side of this staircase might be a private one leading to the western basement. To the north is another private staircase, conducting to the basement under the Greek galleries. The adjoining passage leads to— XXXVI. First Graeco-Roman Room.-The Etruscan monuments are succeeded chronologically by the Græco-Roman, here placed so as to adjoin the galleries both of Greek and of Roman art. In accordance with the character of Græco-Roman sculpture, the apartments containing it should be somewhat ornamentally constructed and arranged, as in the great continental museums, where works of this class form the staple of the collections. The position of the principal objects in all this series of rooms is marked in the plan, without distinguishing them individually, as none are of such a character as to require any special architectural provision. The first room is one hundred and six feet by twenty-six, exclusive of the alcoves. Its height need not, for the display of statuary, exceed twenty feet; but if, for architectural effect, a vaulted ceiling is preferred, the height must be increased. In the Braccio Nuovo, in the Vatican Museum, which is probably the finest gallery of this kind in Europe, and has a cylindrical vault, with a central skylight, the proportion of height to breadth is about thirty-seven feet to twentyseven; but in the darker climate of London the height should not, if possible, exceed the breadth. XXXVII. Second Græco-Roman Room, or Rotunda, sixty feet in diameter, and about sixty feet high in the centre, being surmounted by STRUCTORS AND Pro JECTORS. a hemispherical dome. This room is, with slight variations, and on a BOOK III, Chap. VII. somewhat smaller scale, a copy of the Rotunda in the Museum of Berlin, RECONan apartment universally admired for its architectural beauty, and only defective as a hall for sculpture from the unnecessary smallness of the central skylight. The entablature over the columns would support a gallery, opening into the first floor of the western buildings. XXXVIII. Third Græco-Roman Room, similar to the first, but only one hundred and one feet long, exclusive of the northern alcove. The spaces between the lateral alcoves on the east side of the First and Third Græco-Roman Rooms might either be covered with glass, or left open for ventilation, though the second arrangement would involve a provision for the drainage below. The amount of accommodation for Græco-Roman sculptures cannot, from the form of the rooms, be stated with the same exactness as that for the Greek. Exclusive of the alcoves, there would be in the MR. OLDFIELD'S STRUCTION THIRD ROMAN ROOM. SUMMARY OF ACCOMMODA- The Rotunda would not have available space in proportion to its size. Twelve statues or busts between the columns, and perhaps a large sculpture in the centre, would be the natural complement of the room. The wall-space behind the columns would not be available for sculpture. The total accommodation in the three rooms would amply suffice for our present collection, even somewhat enlarged. As it increased, however, further space might be obtained by erecting in the first and third rooms transverse walls, opposite the alcoves in the Roman galleries, thus subdividing the first room into three principal compartments, with a small lobby at each end, and the third into three compartments (of which the most northern would need some modification), with a lobby at the south end. The doorways through these walls might be twelve feet wide, so as to preserve the continuous appearance of the suite; and they would still leave one hundred and twelve feet of additional wall-space in the first room, and eighty-four in the third. The lighting would be somewhat improved by such an alteration. MEANS OF FUTure en LARGEMENT. The last suite of galleries on the ground floor would contain the WESTERN Roman and Phoenician remains. To avoid any obscuration from the GALLERIES. houses on the west side of Charlotte Street, the windows should be as high in the wall as possible, and as broad as architectural propriety BOOK III, STRUCTORS MR. OLDFIELD'S PROJECT OF RECON- (1858-1860)- FIRST ROMAN ROOM. HALL. SECOND ROMAN ROOM. THIRD FOURTH ROMAN MEANS OF PHOENICIAN SUPPLE MENTAL would admit, whilst the rooms should be not less than twenty-five feet high. XXXIX. First Roman Room, one hundred and ten feet by twentyeight, exclusive of the alcoves.-It would contain mosaics, including those from Carthage, and miscellaneous sculptures, altars, architectural fragments, &c.; the mosaics indifferently placed on all sides of the room, the sculptures on the east side and against the two end walls. XL. Hall, fifty-six feet by seventeen.-Here might be an entrance from Charlotte Street, which on many occasions would furnish a convenient relief to the principal entrance to the Museum. It would open immediately into the Rotunda, and through the vista beyond would be seen, in the distance, the cast of the colossal head from Abousimbul. Within the two abutments of the Rotunda would be recesses for the attendants to sell catalogues, receive umbrellas, &c. XLI. Second Roman or Iconographical Room, fifty-four feet by twentyeight, without the alcoves.-This would contain the series of portrait statues and busts, in chronological order. The west, or dark side of the room, could only be used for very inferior sculptures. XLII. Third (or Anglo-) Roman Room, the same size as the preceding, for Roman monuments found in this country. The rude character of many would admit of placing them on the west side. XLIII. Fourth Roman or Sepulchral Room, eighty-two feet by twentysix, containing Roman sarcophagi for which the west side might be partially available, and sepulchral cippi, and inscriptions. At the north-east angle would be a Columbarium, twenty-three feet by fourteen, fitted up like that in the present Sepulchral Basement Room, but with the advantage of a skylight. [Then follows a Summary of Accommodation provided in the plan for Roman Sculptures, amounting to a superficial area (without alcoves) of eight thousand five hundred and fifty-eight square feet, and seven hundred and seventeen linear feet of wall-space.] The first three rooms, when their contents sufficiently increased, would admit of an easy alteration, which would not merely increase the wall-space, but much improve the lighting, by simply inserting transverse walls between each window. Against these walls the sculptures would have a true side light, whilst those against the east wall would be protected from double lights. It may even be doubted whether such an arrangement should not be adopted in the first instance, without waiting till the additional accommodation is actually required. XLIV. Phoenician Room, twenty-six feet square. Here would be the stela and bas reliefs from Carthage and its vicinity, with the few Punic inscriptions which we possess. The room contains six hundred and seventy-six superficial feet, and eighty-eight of wall-space. XLV. A similar room to the preceding, which, in case of necessity, |