Robert Wood (antiquarian)

Robert Wood (* 1717, † September 9, 1771 ) was a British traveler and politician.

Wood toured from 1750 to 1753 with James Dawkins ( 1722-1757 ) and John Bouverie of Rome and Naples, from the Ottoman Empire, in particular Greece, the Aegean Sea, the Black Sea, Asia Minor, Syria, Palestine and Egypt. They tried to locate the original sites of ancient authors such as Homer and be documented in newly drawn maps, and bought antiques and ancient manuscripts in order to bring them to the UK.

Following the example of Antoine Desgodetz they made allowances at the ancient ruins of Palmyra and Baalbek, which allowed them to draw by the Italian architect Giovanni Battista Borra. The results were in 1753 or 1757, published as elaborate carved work in parallel in each English and a French edition. They were among the earliest systematic publications of ancient architecture outside Italy and had great influence on the classical architecture of both Britain and the continent. For example, Friedrich Wilhelm von Erdmannsdorff used motifs from the two volumes in his buildings in Woerlitzer Park, so the castle and the Pantheon. Heinrich Gentz ​​took motifs from the Palmyra - band for the interior decoration of the Weimar City Palace. Gentz ​​recommended Woods engravings also the students of the Berlin Academy of Architecture, where he taught, because they are " the most magnificent patterns to architectural ornaments ", and especially " very beautiful and rich ceiling " contained.

Works

• Les ruines de Palmyre, autrement dite Tedmor, au desert. London ( 1753). UB Heidelberg
• The ruins of Palmyra; otherwise Tedmore desart in the. London ( 1753). UB Heidelberg
• Les Ruines de Balbec, autrement dite Heliopolis dans la Coelosyrie. London ( 1757).
• The ruins of Balbec, otherwise Heliopolis in Coelosyria. London ( 1757). UB Heidelberg
• An essay on the original genius of Homer. London ( 1769)