Antiquarian, archaeologist, vulcanologist , and envoy to the British Embassy in Naples, Sir William Hamilton (1731–1803) was a leading European figure of his time. Though the romance between his wife Lady Emma Hamilton and Horatio Nelson tends to eclipse Sir William’s own activities, his work as a scientist and a classicist made major contributions to the study of Pompei, Herculaneum, and Mt. Vesuvius. As an expert in ancient art, Hamilton also built up an invaluable collection of ancient Greek vases , subsequently sold to the British Museum in London in 1772. Before the pieces were shipped off to England, Hamilton commissioned Pierre-François Hugues d’Hancarville, an adventurous connoisseur and art dealer, to document the vases in words and images. The resulting catalog, published in four volumes and known as Les Antiquités d’Hancarville , represents a neoclassical masterpiece . Never before had ancient vases been represented with such meticulous detail and sublime beauty. With this reprint, TASCHEN revives d’Hancarville’s masterful catalog for a contemporary audience, reproducing in exacting detail the same pristine images that sparked Europe’s love affair with the classical style .