This volume considers how the discovery of Etruscan sites and artifacts
has inspired artists, architects, statesmen, collectors, scholars and
travelers to Italy from the 16th through to the 20th century, from
Ferdinando de' Medici to Piranesi and Federico Fellini. Subjects include
the reclaiming of Etruscan identity and its influence on Italian
political history, the collecting and reproduction of Etruscan
artifacts, as well as new insights into the lives and activities of
early British Etruscologists and the pleasures and perils which they
encountered on their travels. Other essays look at Etruscan concepts in
jewelry, gems and pottery. The extent of Etruscan influence on European
culture has often been underestimated, but still less well known till
now is how knowledge of certain aspects of Etruscan civilization spread
to the United States of America, as demonstrated, for example, by the
tomb of a Civil War officer which was inscribed with an intriguing
Etruscan-like inscription.
A key theme under consideration is the impact that Etruscan discoveries
have had on the public imagination, in particular the Campanari display
of reconstructed Etruscan tombs staged in Pall Mall in 1837 - the first
archaeological 'blockbuster' exhibition of its kind. The British Museum
acquired much of this material, and the excavation of Etruscan tombs
with their stunning wall-paintings was to have a lasting impression on
displays in the major museums of Europe. But before that, Etruscan
material was among Sir Hans Sloane's collection, the founding collection
of the British Museum, and it has been on display since the Museum first
opened its doors to the public in 1759.
