Charles Robert Cockerell in the Mediterranean. Letters and travels, 1810–1817

Abstract

Since the nineteenth century, travel literature has continued to attract the attention of both scholars and the general public. This book offers the first complete edition of the letters written by Charles Robert Cockerell (1788–1865) – one of the lucky discoverers of the Aegina and Bassae sculptures and the future architect of the Ashmolean Museum – during his travels in the Mediterranean between 1810 and 1817. But the book is more than a mere travel account. The edited letters are preceded by six chapters, which offer – in this reviewer’s opinion – the most interesting part of the book, focusing on Cockerell’s experiences during his travels and on their impact on his subsequent life and work. The time Cockerell spent in the Mediterranean region was, indeed, the most formative period of his life. It allowed him to become an influential architect with a deep understanding of ancient Greek architecture and art, and a major actor of the Greek Revival in Britain. From the very first page the authors state that ‘in no sense is this a book about Cockerell’s career after his return to London in 1817, or the history of Greek Revival architecture or the archaeology of the temples and other buildings that Cockerell studied or the detailed history of the sculptures...’. All these topics are nonetheless broached in the subsequent chapters. After the preface, Cockerell’s family tree is presented. A short introduction follows, offering some biographical elements of Cockerell’s early years before his departure to Greece. Chapter two gives a detailed account of his travels from London to Constantinople, and on to Athens, Aegina and Morea. Chapter three focuses on the second part of Cockerell’s travels through Asia Minor, Sicily, Albania and Italy. Chapters four and five examine Cockerell’s vision of Greek art and architecture, showing his deep understanding of these topics. The last chapter discusses how Cockerell managed to include in his work as an architect ‘the insights he had gained in the Mediterranean’.