Thomas Jenkins (antiquary)
Thomas Jenkins | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth year and age Sidbury, Devon, England |
| Died | 1798 Yarmouth, England |
| Occupation(s) | Artist, art dealer, antiquarian, banker |
| Years active | 1750s–1798 |
| Known for | Guide and dealer specializing in Roman sculpture and antiquities; informal British government agent in Rome |
Thomas Jenkins (–1798) was a British artist who traveled to Rome circa 1750 alongside landscape painter Richard Wilson and chose to settle there permanently. He built a career as a guide, financier, and dealer specializing in Roman sculpture and antiquities, primarily serving British travelers. Jenkins also acted as an intermediary for clients seeking portraits or busts as keepsakes from their Grand Tour.
Biography
Born in Sidbury, Devon in 1722, Jenkins initially trained under Thomas Hudson in London before relocating to Rome in 1753 to continue his painting career. He formed connections with artists such as Richard Wilson and Gavin Hamilton, eventually shifting focus from painting to guiding and antiquities dealing, establishing himself as a prominent expert and collector for British visitors.
To enhance his market control, Jenkins restricted direct access between other artists and clients. Among the significant antiquities he managed was a Discobolus replica from Hadrian's Villa, sold to collector Charles Townley—now housed in the British Museum. Jenkins also exported artworks to London and assisted in assembling collections for notable patrons like William Petty (later Lord Shelburne), Henry Blundell (including the 'Jenkins Venus' or "Barberini Venus"), and Lyde Browne—collections that ultimately contributed to the holdings of the Hermitage Museum.
In 1770, Pope Clement XIV authorized Jenkins and Gavin Hamilton to oversee the sale of the esteemed Mattei antiquities on behalf of Don Giuseppe Mattei. This role enabled the exportation of numerous marble sculptures, some acquired personally by Jenkins, coinciding with the release of Monumenta Mattheiana (1776–79).
Jenkins also engaged in trading contemporary sculpture; notably, he purchased Gian Lorenzo Bernini's Neptune and Glaucus in 1786 from the gardens of Villa Montalto—a work now uniquely preserved in Britain at the Victoria & Albert Museum.
Based in an apartment on Rome's via del Corso, Jenkins was a central figure in the foreign antiquities trade, maintaining relationships with sellers, artists, and scholars including Cardinal Alessandro Albani and Johann Joachim Winckelmann. He enjoyed a close friendship with Giovanni Battista Piranesi, who dedicated a frontispiece to him in 1764. Jenkins was named an Honorary Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London in 1757 and became a member of the Accademia di San Luca in 1761. He frequently corresponded with the Society, supplying sketches of newly discovered antiquities.
Privately, Jenkins functioned as an informal British government agent, monitoring visitors with Jacobite leanings at the residence of the Stuart Pretender—an activity that affected his standing among Scottish guests. Contemporary reports highlighted his substantial sales; James Adam noted Jenkins sold artworks worth £5,000 during one winter season. His combination of boldness and espionage contributed significantly to his achievements.
By 1792, Jenkins had purchased the manor of Sidmouth, near his birthplace, where he developed Fortfield Terrace to accommodate visitors. Upon his death, ownership passed to his grand-nephew.
Jenkins’s will, prepared without legal advice in Rome in 1797, led to extended legal conflicts into the nineteenth century. He fled Rome following the arrival of French forces, leaving behind his collections, and died shortly after reaching England at Yarmouth.
Further reading
- C. Hornsby, 'British Collectors of the Marbles, Part 2: Thomas Jenkins as an Expert', featured in I. Bignamini and C. Hornsby, Digging And Dealing in Eighteenth-Century Rome (2010. Yale University Press), pages 208–221
- G. Vaughan, 'Thomas Jenkins and His Global Clientele', included in Antikensammlungen des europäischen Adels im 18. Jahrhundert, edited by A. Borschung and A. H. von Hesberg (1996. Mainz)
- Brinsley Ford, 'Thomas Jenkins: Banker, Dealer, and Informal English Representative', published in Apollo; volume 99 (1974), pages 416 and following
- S. Rowland Pierce, 'Thomas Jenkins’s Activities in Rome', in The Antiquaries Journal; 45:2 (1965), pages 225–229
- T. Ashby, 'Thomas Jenkins’s Role in Rome', from Papers of the British School at Rome; 6:8 (1913), pages 487–511