Name of Object:

The Dinner held at Delphi in Honour of the Painter by the Elder of the Village at Chryso

Location:

Athens, Greece

Holding Institution:

Benaki Museum

 About Benaki Museum, Athens

Date of Object:

Early 19th century

Author:

Edward Dodwell

Inventory Number:

23056

Material(s) / Technique(s):

Watercolour

Description:

This drawing is almost identical to the plate entitled “Dinner at Crisso in the house of the Bishop of Salona”, which is included in Dodwell’s folio Views in Greece, (1821). The accompanying text testifies to the artist’s antiquarianism and his attempt to identify classical customs in 19th century life. “The Bishop of Salona gave us a favourable opportunity of observing some customs which merit commendation as instances in which classical usages have survived. Before sitting down to dinner and after we rose from table we performed the ancient ceremony of washing the hands. Atin bason is taken round to all the company, the servant holding it on his left arm, while with his right hand he pours water from a pewter vessel on the hands of the washer, having a towel thrown over his shoulder to dry them with. This ceremony is mentioned by Hesiod, by Homer, and other authors…”.

Type of Object

Watercolour

Citation of this web page:

Tsigakou 1995, 116, fig. 7 "The Dinner held at Delphi in Honour of the Painter by the Elder of the Village at Chryso" in "Sharing History", Museum With No Frontiers, 2026.
https://sharinghistory.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;AWE;gr;16;en

Prepared by: Tsigakou 1995, 116, fig. 7

MWNF Working Number: GR 016