DESCRIPTION: Tiger. After James Northcote (British, 1746-1831). Mezzotint. Engraved by John Murphy. Published by John & Josiah Boydell, Cheapside, and at the Shakespeare Gallery Pall Mall, 1790, London. MEASUREMENTS: 18" high x 23-1/2" wide; mat and frame 4" wide. CONDITION: Two 1" vertical tears originating from top margin; does not detract. Light undulation. MH. IMPORTANT: Before bidding, please read the terms and conditions. When you registered for the auction you agreed to these terms and will be required to comply with them.
Etching titled "January" by John and Josiah Boydell. Hand etched and colored with certificate of authenticity sticker affixed on the back of the frame. Bottom of etching reads "W. Hamilton, R.A. Pinr January Published by John & Josiah Boydell, London W. N. Gardiner, sculpt." Etching is framed and matted under glass with a hanging wire.
Etching titled "January" by John and Josiah Boydell. Hand etched and colored with certificate of authenticity sticker affixed on the back of the frame. Bottom of etching reads "W. Hamilton, R.A. Pinr January Published by John & Josiah Boydell, London W. N. Gardiner, sculpt." Etching is framed and matted under glass with a hanging wire.
Josiah Boydell (British 1752-1817)The Captive, from Sterne Charcoal, chalk and watercolour 35.5 x 46cm (13¾ x 18 in.)Provenance:The collection of the late Dinny Cory (1919-2012) (nee Dawn Davidson)Exhibited:London, Shakespeare Gallery, Drawings After the Most Capital Pictures in England, 1790 no. 31Literature:Benedict Nicholson, Joseph Wright of Derby : Painter of Light (London: Paul Mellon Foundation for British Art :Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd.; New York : Pantheon Books, 1968), p. 241-242, no. 216The present lot is a rediscovered drawing, once exhibited by John Boydell at the Shakespeare Gallery on Pall Mall in 1790. The drawing is a precise and exquisite drawing after The Captive, from Sterne by Joseph Wright of Derby completed in 1774, held by the Vancouver Art Gallery in Canada, currently on long term loan to the National Gallery of Canada. Wright was born in Derby in 1734 into a family of lawyers but he chose to move to London in 1751 to pursue his career as a painter, studying for two years under Thomas Hudson. Wright started his career focusing mainly on portraiture and landscape, experimenting with the effects of tenebrism in painting. Despite spending most of his career working in Derby, it is recorded that Wright took a trip to Italy setting off in 1773 with his wife Ann and fellow artists John Downman and Richard Hurleston. It is believed that by late summer 1774 the couple were in Rome. Whilst few canvases have survived from this period, it is believed that The Captive from Sterne is the only piece produced during his Rome visit. The subject of the work derives from Laurence Sterne's novel A Sentimental Journey, set in 1762 when Britain was at war with France and foreign travel risked imprisonment. The main character is a court jester named Yorick who imagines losing his passport, being held captive in the Bastille and eventually released because he is thought to be an important person. An engraving was made after the painting by Thomas Ryder in 1779, likely from this drawing by Josiah Boydell. The engraving was published in 1786 by John and Josiah Boydell (and likely available to purchase from the Shakespeare Gallery exhibition in 1790.) John Boydell & The Shakespeare Gallery John Boydell (1720-1804), Josiah's uncle, was a publisher whose contributions to the print-making industry helped Britain become one of the leading players in engravings: his entrepreneurial approach to the traditional artist/patron relationship put the dealer at the forefront of business representing and promoting both artists and patrons. Boydell saw opportunity in producing prints of highly prized paintings by esteemed artists, that had won prizes, such as that at the Society of Art; subsequently the print market boomed, under his guidance, during the 1760s to 1790s. Some of Boydell's greatest success came from prints after paintings by Richard Wilson, Joshua Reynolds and Joseph Wright of Derby.In 1770, Boydell rented large premises in Cheapside for his latest project producing prints based on paintings of Shakespearian subject matter, where he employed many engravers. Original paintings were exhibited in the gallery, with individual engravings and volumes of engravings together with text plates from the plays for sale. By 1789 he had to expand into a second gallery, the Shakespeare Gallery at 52 Pall Mall. However, financial pressures of the project started to prove too difficult to manage. This was caused by artists such as Joshua Reynolds demanding high prices. In 1786, Reynolds charged £500 for his painting of Macbeth and the Witches and when Joseph Wright's painting of Romeo and Juliet was rejected, Wright accused Boydell of favouritism and of prioritising artists such as Benjamin West Over others. 'Has it not equal, nay much more work in it It is not as highly finished And has not the public spoke as well of it Then why should you attempt to make any difference in our prices' To which Boydell responded 'Had I ever presum'd to have classed the historical painters of this country perhaps Mr Wright's name would not have stood exactly where [he] has been pleased to place himself.'This correspondence illustrates the fractured relationship between Boydell and Wright. Joseph Wright is known to have presented several works to the Shakespeare Gallery. In 1790 according to 'A Catalogue of Pictures &c. In the Shakespeare Gallery' Wright submitted Prospero's Cell, from the Tempest. John Boydell started to exhibit other works for sale, stating in the 1790 exhibition catalogue 'the following miscellaneous pictures are placed in the middle compartment of the gallery'. These works included 'The Murder of James the Fifth King of Scotland by Graham &c.' painted by John Opie and 'Portrait of G.A. Elliot, Lord Heathfield,' by Sir Joshua Reynolds. Josiah Boydell Josiah Boydell, a trained engraver, was heavily involved in the Shakespeare Gallery with his uncle. The preface for the 1790 exhibition catalogue is signed off by Josiah along with John Boydell and George Nicoll. It is also evident that Josiah Boydell was involved from an artistic perspective. After studying the exhibition catalogue of 1790 it became evident that John Boydell had thought of additional ways of making income. An additional section in the exhibition is titled 'Drawings After the Most Capital Pictures formerly in the possession of the Earl of Orford at Houghton in Norfolk, lately purchased by the Empress of Russia' located in 'the room opposite the gallery'. There is a nota bene stating 'All these drawings were made by Messrs. Joseph and George Farington and Josiah Boydell.' Indicating that John Boydell was using his talented and established team of engravers to produce drawings after notable paintings as well. (In the exhibition catalogue drawings by Boydell are followed by the initials 'J.B.d.' and include works after artists such as Sir Peter Lely, Rubens and Van Dyke.)This section leads through to 'Drawings after the most capital pictures in England'. The drawings were made by four artists, primarily known as engravers, Josiah Boydell, George Robertson, Richard Earlom and Joseph Farington.Exhibition number 31, hung 'over the Chimney in the Great-Room' at the Shakespeare Gallery in 1790 is the present lot. The exhibition reference can be found in the catalogue on page 137 which has been digitised and is available to browse on the British Library website. Boydell also produced another work after Wright which, like The Captive was held in the private collection of Edward Pickering Esq. titled Maria, from Sterne. The exquisite handling of the present drawing reflects the precision and accuracy approached by any trained engraver. Josiah Boydell, an established engraver, has entered the history books as a print-maker. However, the discovery of this drawing and the detailed analysis of The Shakespeare Gallery exhibition catalogue reveals a great deal more about Josiah and his artistic abilities.
(1752 Hawarden - Middlesex 1817). Jane, Daughter of Lord Wenman. In the Drawing Room at Houghton. Kniestück. Mezzotinto n. van Dyke bei John Boydell, Ldn. 1779. 35 x 28, Blgr. 50,7 x 36,7 cm. D
Boydell, Josiah (1752 Hawarden - Middlesex 1817). Jane, Daughter of Lord Wenman. In the Drawing Room at Houghton. Kniestück. Mezzotinto n. van Dyke bei John Boydell, Ldn. 1779. 35 x 28, Blgr. 50,7 x 36,7 cm. Verso ausgeschieden St. des Städt. Museums Lpz. - Etw. stockfl., tls. beschabt, vereinz. etw. knittrig. - +Dabei: Bernhard Vogel+ (1683-1737). Hs. Leonh. Kellner. Stehendes Hüftbild des Nürnbergers Apothekers u. Schwiegervater von Johann Gabriel Doppelmayr. Mezzotinto n. J.Kupezky, Nbg. 1736. Plgr. 35,5 x 25, Blgr. 37,5 x 27 cm. - Etw. gebr. u. tls. stockfl., unt. ca. 7 cm i.d. Darst. wasserrandig. Zus. 2 Bl.
Josiah Boydell (British, 1752-1817). 'A Fruit Piece' after the painting by Angelo Campidoglio. Mezzotint with hand colouring. Published May 1st 1779 by John Boydell. Plate 30 x 35.5cm. . CONDITION: Condition- even age toning, two small repaired tears bottom margin
Europe, England, Jean P. Simon (British, before 1750 to ca. 1810) after Reverend Matthew William Peters (British, 1742 to 1814 ), "Much Ado About Nothing: Act III, Scene I, (Hero, Ursula, and Beatrice)" engraving, published by John Boydell (British, 1720 to 1804) and Josiah Boydell (British, 1752 to 1817), 1790 CE. A wonderful engraving of a scene from one of Shakespeare's best-loved comedies. The three characters, Hero, Ursula, and Beatrice, are in a garden. The women's clothing and hairstyles as well as the neoclassical urn on a pedestal in the garden place the scene firmly in the artist's contemporary Georgian period rather than Shakespeare's Tudor era. The women's faces are sensitively portrayed and the garden's details wonderfully atmospheric. Comes with frame. Size: 15.75" W x 22.25" H (40 cm x 56.5 cm); size in frame: Size: 25.5" W x 31.75" H (64.8 cm x 80.6 cm) Matthew Williams Peters, born in Freshwater on the Isle of Wight. He was an English portrait painter and Anglican clergyman who was the chaplain to King George IV. His works were exhibited at the Society of Artists and at the Royal Academy in London from 1766 to 1769. Provenance: Ex-Faires collection All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #121705
Europe, England, Robert Thew (English, 1758 to 1802) after Josiah Boydell (English, 1752 to 1817), "Prince Henry Taking the Crown" from Henry IV Part 2, Act IV, Scene 4, engraving, published by the same Josiah Boydell, 1795 CE. A detailed engraving of a pivotal scene from one of Shakespeare's history plays - the style employing a dramatic use of chiaroscuro - light and dark. The ill and elderly king, Henry IV, lies sleeping; his son, Prince Hal (soon to be Henry V) has entered and, thinking that his father has died, places his hand upon his crown. The young prince is handsome, outfitted magnificently, his face concerned. In this moment, he is lamenting that the metaphorical weight of the crown has destroyed his father's health. The artist has depicted the details of the monarch's room well, with rich draperies and mattress; the crest of the monarchy is painted on the pillow above his head. Size of engraving: 14.25" W x 20" H (36.2 cm x 50.8 cm); size in frame: 25.5" W x 31.75" H (64.8 cm x 80.6 cm) Josiah Boydell, born in Hawarden, Flintshire (northeast Wales), moved to London in 1766 to apprentice himself to his uncle John Boydell; he later became John's partner at his publishing house. Together they created the Boydell Shakespeare Gallery, a project created in an effort to foster a school of British history painting (the Boydells were very worried about the French surpassing the English in this regard). Their plans included producing an illustrated version of Shakespeare's plays and a folio of prints based on paintings done by different contemporary painters. During the 1790s, they showed these paintings at their London gallery, which was incredibly popular, capitalizing on renewed interest in Shakespeare's works in the late 18th century. The London press reported weekly on the building of the gallery on Pall Mall. Now, most of the original paintings have been lost, making the engravings from the folio the major surviving record of this fascinating effort. Provenance: Ex-Faires Collection All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #121706
Europe, England, Jean P. Simon (British, before 1750 to ca. 1810) after Reverend Matthew William Peters (British, 1742 to 1814 ), "Much Ado About Nothing: Act III, Scene I, (Hero, Ursula, and Beatrice)" engraving, published by John Boydell (British, 1720 to 1804) and Josiah Boydell (British, 1752 to 1817), 1790 CE. A wonderful engraving of a scene from one of Shakespeare's best-loved comedies. The three characters, Hero, Ursula, and Beatrice, are in a garden. The women's clothing and hairstyles as well as the neoclassical urn on a pedestal in the garden place the scene firmly in the artist's contemporary Georgian period rather than Shakespeare's Tudor era. The women's faces are sensitively portrayed and the garden's details wonderfully atmospheric. Comes with frame. Size: 15.75" W x 22.25" H (40 cm x 56.5 cm); size in frame: Size: 25.5" W x 31.75" H (64.8 cm x 80.6 cm) Matthew Williams Peters, born in Freshwater on the Isle of Wight. He was an English portrait painter and Anglican clergyman who was the chaplain to King George IV. His works were exhibited at the Society of Artists and at the Royal Academy in London from 1766 to 1769. Provenance: Ex-Faires collection All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #121705
JOHN AND JOSIAH BOYDELL (BRITISH, 1720-1804) (BRITISH, 1752-1817) DEDICATION PAGE FROM COLLECTION OF SIR ROBERT WALPOLE AT HOUGHTON HALL, NORFOLK FOR CATHERINE THE GREAT OF RUSSIA Engraving: 25 x 17 in. (sight) Framed
BOYDELL, John (1720-1804) and Josiah BOYDELL (1752-1817). An History of the River Thames. London: W. Bulmer, 1794-96. 2 volumes, 2° (417 x 315mm). Additional printed titles, engraved frontispiece and folding map, 76 hand-coloured aquatints by J.C. Stadler after J. Farington (ownership marks excised from title pages, light off-setting of text onto plates, spotting to some text leaves, ink cancels on titles). Contemporary diced calf gilt, spines gilt in compartments (somewhat worn, joints split). Provenance: ex-library copy (labels removed from front pastedown) -- F. Edwards (signature on front pastedown of vol. I). FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE of this popular work originally intended to include the rivers Thames, Severn, Forth and Clyde 'and intended to illustrate an original History of those Rivers, including all that adorns, dignifies or enriches them and their Vicinities, whether of Art or Nature'. The project was abandoned at the completion of the History of the Thames, although the publishers intended to continue with the Forth, as shown by the general title in each volume. These titles, as well as the Dedication to the King, were subsequently removed from later impressions. Abbey Scenery 432; Tooley 102. (2)
