A Biographical And Critical Dictionary Of Painters And Engravers, From The Revival Of Art Under Cimabue, And The Alledged Discovery Of Engraving By Finiguerra, To The Present Time: With The Ciphers, Monograms, And Marks, Used By Each Engraver; And An Ample List Of Their Principal Works. Together With Two Indexes, Alphabetical And Chronological. To Which Is Prefixed, An Introduction, Containing A Brief Account of the Painters of Antiquity. By Michael Bryan. In Two Volumes. Vol. I. (II.)
London:: Printed For Carpenter And Son, Old Bond Street; J. Booker, New Bond Street; And Whittingham And Arliss, Paternoster-Row., 1816.
Physical Description
2 vols.; 242 mm. (Quarto.)
General Note
Vol. I: [ii], xlix, [i], 709, [3] p., frontis. (port.), 5 pl. - Vol. II: [iv], 822, [2] p.
Contents
Vol. I: [Half-title, frontis., t.p., dedic.] - Introduction - Authorities Which Have Been Consulted For This Work - A Brief Explication Of Some Of The Terms Used In The Art - [Plates] - [Text] - Alphabetical Index To The First Volume; [colophon] - Errata in Vol. I. - Vol. II: [Half-t., t.p.] - [Text] - Appendix - Alphabetical Index To The Second Volume; Index To Appendix - Chronological Index Of Painters And Engravers; [colophon] - Errata in Vol. II.
Responsibility Note
The frontispiece portrait is captioned, 'Michael Bryan Engraved by W. Haines, from a Miniature by Alexr. Pope.'
The five numbered plates are all signed as engraved by Girtin.
Each has the publishers' imprint of 'Jas. Carpenter & Son & the other Proprietors' and the date 'May 1. 1816'.
The work is dedicated by Michael Bryan to the Prince Regent [afterwards George IV], the Deputy President and Governors of the British Institution.
The printer is named in both colophons: 'Whittingham and Rowland, Printers, Goswell Street, London.'
References
RIBA, Early printed, 1 (1994), no. 451, p.271-2.
Summary Note
Bryan began writing his biographic dictionary after his retirement from business. The work was first published in parts from 1813. It remained a standard reference work, undergoing several revisions, throughout the nineteenth century.
The plates show monograms used by engravers.
Provenance
Front loose endpapers are inscribed in ink, 'Bequest of Sr. A. W. Callcott'.
Copy Note
The five numbered plates are bound in in reverse order. Has various marginal notes, in pencil and ink.
Binding Note
19th-century quarter green cloth, blue papered boards; white paper spine-labels lettered 'Bryan's Dictionary Of Painters And Engravers - Vol. I. (II.)'.
Subject
Artists - Painters - Engravers - Europe - History
Biographies - Biography - Dictionaries - Biographical disctionaries - Art history - Reference books - Great Britain - 19th century