Hedvig Győry: Mélanges offerts a Edith Varga „Le lotus qui sort de terre” (Bulletin du Musée Hongrois des Beaux-Arts Supplément 1. Budapest, 2001)
JOACHIM SLIWA: Egyptian Hall and the Exhibition of Egyptian Art in London, 1821-1822
Egyptian Hall and the Exhibiton of Egyptian Art in London, 1821-1822* O ne of the earliest examples of affection of Egyptian motives in England, afterwards repeatedly imitated, is Egyptian Hall, erected in 1812 in London and situated at Piccadilly Circus'. At the same time it is an excellent example of using egyptianizing style for public purposes, many a time called "Commercial Picturesque". 2 Within Egyptian revival in Britain in next few years emerged also some industrial objects, even if as Heavitree Brewery at Exeter, Devon (R. Ford, ca. 1833) or Flax Spinning Mill in Holbeck, Leeds (I. Bononi, 1838 - 1841). In its original form, Egyptian Hall was built on William Bullock initiative as an object to hold his collection, formerly exhibited in Liverpool 3 . In Bullock's collection there were works of art, armoury, objects of natural history ("32 stuffed monkeys and 11 stuffed sea lions"), many curiosities ("an exquisite model in rice paste of the death of Voltaire by Monsieur Oudon", "a Holy Family done in wool"), and also objects brought by Capt. Cook from the South Seas. In this collection at that time there was also no lack of an Egyptian mummy. After its transfer to London in 1812 the collection was enlarged of some other collections, among others from the Lichfield Museum, of the collection of Sir Ashton Lever and also of some objects gained by Bullock during his own travels to Mexico ("Mexican curiosities"). 4 As an I hope that the reminiscence ofthat exhibition and of the building connected with it will be accepted by Dr. Edith Varga, eminent connoisseur of Egyptian art and creator of numerous exhibitions, as a small jubilee gift. ' For general information with bibliography and illustrations see: R. G. Carrot, The Egyptian Revival. Its Sources, Monuments and Meaning. 1808-1858, Berkeley-Los Angeles-London 1978, pp. 34-35; J. S. Curl, Egyptomania. The Egyptian Revival: a Recurring Theme in the History of Taste, Manchester-New York 1994, pp. 156-161; J.-M. Humbert, Die "Egyptian Hall" in Picadilly, in: Àgyptomanie. Ägypten in der europäischen Kunst 1730-1930, Wien 1994, No. 114, pp. 183-184. See also B. Weinreb - C. Hibbert (ed.), London Encyclopaedia, London 1993, p. 262. 2 That definition was introduced by Carrot, op. cit. (note 1), p. 35 (cfr. Curl, op.cit. (note 1), pp. 157-158). 3 Cfr. The Dictionary of National Biography (=DNB), Vol. VII, London 1886. p. 256 (A. Macdonel). 4 Cfr. A Companion to Mr. Bullock's London Museum and Pantherion [...] now open for public inspection in the Egyptian Temple [...] in Piccadilly, London 1812.
