"Ma passion... ma folie dominante": Stosch, Winckelmann and the allure of the engraved gems of the Ancients

This article examines the scholarly and collecting activities of Philipp von Stosch (1691-1757), with focus on ancient engraved gems. It traces Stosch’s life and work from his early travels and Roman period to his death in Florence, and includes discussions on his milestone publication, Gemmae antiquae caelatae (1724), his own remarkable collection of gem originals, pastes and impressions, and Winckelmann’s work on it, published as Description des pierres gravées du feu Baron de Stosch (1760).