Charles Townley#Painting by Johann Zofany

Charles Townley in his Sculpture Gallery, also Charles Townley and his Friends in the Townley Gallery, 33 Park Street, Westminster, is a painting by the German - British painter Johann Zoffany, which was created 1781-1783 and the contracting Charles Townley and three of shows his friends in Townleys library and between its antiquities collection.

Charles Townley, a wealthy English country gentleman, was a major collector of antique works of art. This served not only to learning, but always also as representative objects for self-expression of the owner. Townley sitting on an overstuffed armchair at the right edge of the picture, he is shown completely in profile and looking to the left in the scene. On his lap is a book, with the fingers of one hand he seems to point to the point at which he is reading. In the center sits his friend and protégé of Pierre -François Hugues d' Hancarville. He also sits on an upholstered red armchair, he is different than Townley but reproduced in half profile. With his left hand he holds a book which he has placed on the table in front of him. Townley and d' Hancarville seem engrossed in a conversation. Behind Hugues d' Hancarville are left Thomas Astle and Charles Francis Greville right, both engrossed in conversation. D' Hancarville was a well-known art historian of his time, has emerged mainly as editor of the collection of William Hamilton. Astle was a noted antiquarian and Paläograf and Greville, nephew of Hamilton, was also an art collector.

In the background of the image in a large bookcase is part of Townleyschen library to be seen. The rest of the image is dominated by various antiques, which are not arranged in a real way -up. The most obvious is behind the so-called Greville Townley Venus. On the table stands in front of a bust of the d' Hancarville Clytia. Before the table is on the ground, the statue of a faun in the Barberini type. In the left foreground is a copy of the incorrectly reconstructed Diskobolos, now as the rest of the collection at the British Museum is located, next to a bust of Athena, next to a copy of the ankle player. On the right is the Townley - Sphinx. On the cupboard behind Townley are several busts, right behind him a bust of Homer. On the opposite wall hang several reliefs, including right up in incorrect proportions given the grave relief of the shoemaker Xanthippos. In addition, on a ledge, a black-figure Attic amphora. On the bookcase in the background you can see the marble Townley Vase, above the door is a relief with a horse and whose leader is attached from the Hadrian's Villa in Tivoli. Through the illustrations in the picture you can trace the provenance of many collectors' pieces to the life of Charles Townley. This is the picture of an important witness to the reception of antiquity.

Pictures of original pieces shown

Grave stele of Xanthippos

Relief from Hadrian's Villa

Homer Bust

Bust of Odysseus'

Sphinx

Satyr and Nymph

Dionysus and the personification of wine

Statue of Venus of Ostia