WITH A DESCRIPTION OF THE DIFFERENT STATES OF EACH PLATE, A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF EACH PERSON, AND A LIST OF THE PICTURES FROM WHICH THE ENGRAVINGS WERE TAKEN, WITH DATES OF PAINTING, NAMES OF THE POSSESSORS, AND OTHER PARTICULARS. BY EDWARD HAMILTON, M.D. F.L.S. &c. New Edition, Enlarged. LONDON: P. & D. COLNAGHI AND CO. 13 & 14 PALL MALL EAST. 1884. All Rights reserved. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. TH HAT the art of engraving in mezzotint should have attained its highest state of perfection whilst Sir Joshua Reynolds lived and painted was a most happy coincidence. It would seem as if the artistengravers, contemporaries of Sir Joshua, stimulated by the extraordinary power of the painter's brush, had been enabled to surpass their art for the purpose of faithfully transcribing, in all their entirety, the pictures they imitated, as if the very genius of Reynolds had guided their hands; for the works of art of these engravers are as much masterpieces in their way as those of the great Artist himself, and have contributed in no small degree to spread and perpetuate his reputation. Thus they delineated with wonderful truth and reality not only the expression and the grace, but even the characteristic peculiarities of the master's touch, with a result eminently powerful and attractive: the effect more resembles painting in mezzotint than engraving, for with what subtle power are reproduced the lines, the forms, and the texture of each part of the picture, and yet how bold and forcible is the whole! If we take, for instance, the print of Lady Elizabeth Keppel, engraved in mezzotint by Edward Fisher; Mrs. Musters with her dog, by J. R. Smith; Miss Jacobs, by John Spilsbury, the prize engraving of the year; Lady Taylor; Lady Harrington; the Duke of Leinster; Master Bunbury; and many others, all different, yet all as true and as perfect as it is possible to be; what striking examples we have before us of the power of this art! Such works as these delight us for their extreme beauty, and astonish us by their wonderful fidelity to the original paintings; and we may well understand Sir Joshua Reynolds exclaiming, when he saw a fine engraving after one of his pictures by J. McArdell, 'By this man I shall be immortalised!' To possess such works is to live with Reynolds and his times; to study them is to nourish and improve the taste; while at the same time we are led to regret that the art of mezzotint engraving on copper, as then practised, should have passed away with the men who brought it to such perfection. Four separate Catalogues of the Engravings after the works of Sir Joshua Reynolds have been published at different periods. The first, in 1794, was entitled, A Catalogue of Portraits, &c., engraved from Pictures painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds, Kt., London: Printed for W. Richardson, Castle Street, Leicester Square, and sold by W. Clarke, Bond Street, and IV. Todd, York. This gives merely the name of the sitter, that of the engraver, with the date of publishing, and a few occasional remarks. Many of the names, both of the sitters and engravers, are misspelt, and some of the prints even misnamed, which is the more remarkable considering the short interval between Sir Joshua's death and the publication of the Catalogue. The second Catalogue was published in The Selections from the Gentleman's Magazine, vol. iv. (1811), and was entitled, Prints after Sir Joshua Reynolds. This is almost a reprint of Richardson's Catalogue, with the addition of the prices at which the engravings were originally published: these prices ranged from 2s. 6d. to 30s., according to the size and state of the plate. The third Catalogue was published by Edmund Wheatley, Panorama House, Leicester Square, entitled, A Descriptive Catalogue of all the Prints, with the Engravers' Names and Dates, which have been engraved from Original Portraits and Pictures by Sir Joshua Reynolds, P.R.A. 1825. This is nothing but a reprint of the Catalogue of 1794, without any corrections. The fourth Catalogue is entitled, A Catalogue of the Portraits painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds, Kt. Compiled from his Autograph Memorandumbooks, and from printed Catalogues, &c. By William Cotton, Esq. London: Messrs. Longman & Co. 1857. Although this is professedly a Catalogue of the Portraits, it gives also the names of the engravers, the dates, and the possessors of the pictures; but it reproduces, unfortunately, the misprints of its predecessors, so far as the names and dates of the different sitters and engravers are concerned. A more extended interest in these beautiful mezzotints has led to a closer examination as regards the various states of the different plates. The terms 'proof before letters,' 'proofs,' and 'prints,' or 'finished impressions,' give but a vague idea of the progress of the engraving or of its condition. An engraving may be designated a proof, yet the proper distinction and possible value may depend on the absence of, or the character of the lettering, or of the date, or on other marks recognised only on close observation. The date in the line of publication, for instance, in many cases indicates the state of the plate : as regards these states it often happens, that though the first state may be the most rare, yet it by no means follows that it is the best. The first impressions were generally taken off to ascertain what finishing touches, if any, were required, then the plate was carefully cleaned and very carefully printed, as much depended on the printer, so that the actual second states, and often the finished impressions, were more brilliant and more beautiful than the so-called first state. In fact, as Mr. Rawlinson truly observes in his Catalogue of Turner's Liber Studiorum, 'first states are often more rare than beautiful.' A popular plate was often much abused. After leaving the hands of the original publisher (who had taken off what he considered as many impressions as the plate would bear), it would come into the possession of some printseller or publisher less scrupulous, would be retouched, and perhaps renamed, or the lettering all taken out and false proofs issued. This was often done by placing a piece of thick paper over the letters during the printing, as well as by erasing the names from the copper. These deceits. have even been tried in the present day, not only on the plates, but on the impressions themselves. A well-known instance occurred in Christie and Manson's rooms in February, 1874, when a series of mezzotints after Sir Joshua Reynolds were sent in for sale, so cleverly manipulated that they appeared to be the first state before all letters, and sold for large sums-'Lady Aylesford,' for example, realising 63 guineas: fortunately for the purchasers, this fraud was exposed by Mr. McKay, the chief partner in the firm of Messrs. Colnaghi and Co., in time to prevent the money being paid. In the present edition, the characteristic distinctions of each state of the plate is given in as short and concise a manner as is compatible with its recognition. A careful examination of the various collections has brought to light many states previously undescribed, some of very great interest to the collector. In describing the impressions, the line of publication is given, whenever practicable. When the artists' names, the title, or the line of publication is different from the usual form in the finished impression, it is so stated; as, 'etched letters,' 'open letters,' &c. The unfinished or trial states in most cases, are placed in a separate line, and, as far as possible, a reference to some well-known collections is given for each state. Those termed 'modern' in J. C. Smith's Catalogue, when no alteration in size or date, &c. of the plate is mentioned, are only modern impressions of the previous state. Many of these mezzotints, especially good impressions, are daily becoming more rare and valuable. This arises not only from the increasing appreciation of them amongst collectors, but also from the carelessness of many who possess, or have possessed them, in allowing them to deteriorate, by rubbing and by damp. No engravings suffer so much from these two causes as mezzotints. |