DILETTANTE SOCIETY. A body of noble men and gentlemen by whose exertions the study of antique art in England has been largely pro moted. The society wa, founded in 1734, and liehl its meetings at the Thatched House Tavern in Saint James Street. It was in its beginnings simply an amateur dub, its object being to com bine social and friendly intercourse Nvitli the of artistie knowledge nod the gratifi cation of artistic tastes. lint its funds having accumulated to a large amount, its member, resolved, in 1761, to lit out an expedition for the purpose of collecting and drawing, of the most rema•l:able artistic monuments of an tiquity. The selected for carrying out this important undertaking were \Ir. Chandler.
of College. 0,roniensis Itevett and \Ir. Stew art, the authors if the magnificent work on Athenian antiquities; and \Ir. a talented young artist. Ihiving spent two years in 0recce, they returned in 17tit, bringing with them the materials for the two splendid volumes on the antiquities of feria. which were published at the expense of the society. Architi.cture had
been the first object of their inquiries, but their attention was now turned to sculpture. which was then at the lowest ebb in England. .\ series of the finest antique statues, bras relief-, and bli,t, was selected and engraved with the great est cam This work appeared in with dis by Payne Knight. In ISI I a second architectural exploring party was dispatched by the society to Asia Alinor, of \Ir. (afterwards Sir \Villiant) Ge11, \Ir. Medford, awl \Ir. (tardy. Two volumes went. t,...11e11, one in Is17 imtitled The 1 't.,' lied of .1 I I ica. and a seem'', on Antique Seuiptu•e in I•35. For these spirited exertions in their behalf, the public have been indebted to a elith of some sixty private gentlemen. In 1777 Sir Joshua 1:ey m,b1,, who was at that time painter to the I)ilet• tante Society, began Id, fatuous portraits of the member.. which consist of two of (•;teti. ,\ntong Iiis subjects were henry Inuclas. Lord Itilgra•e, Payne (iallwey, and Stanhope.