Plans, Elevations, Sections, and Specimens of the Architecture and Ornaments, of the remaining parts of St. Stephens Chapel Westminster
Imprint
(Sumptibus Soc. Antiquar., Londini.: Publish'd According to Act of Parliament, 23d. April 1795.) (- 1811).
Physical Description
22 p., 28 pl. (incl. add. engr. t.pl. and 3 dble. pl.): 1 illus.; 650 mm.
General Note
The dble. pl. are nos [XV-]XVII. Plate XV does not carry its number. In some copies plate I (added engr. title-pl.) is bound in before the title-page.
Contents
[T.p.] - The Collegiate Chapel Of Saint Stephen, Westminster - Plans, Elevations, Sections, And Specimens, Of The Architecture And Ornaments, Of The Remaining Parts Of Saint Stephen's Chapel, Westminster. Plate I(-XIV) - Plate I [add. engr. t.pl.] - [Pl. II-XIV] - Description Of The Additional Plates Of St. Stephen's Chapel. By Sir H.C. Englefield, Bart. President. [describing pl. XV-XXVIII] - [Plates [XV-]XXVIII].
Responsibility Note
In the first sequence of plates ( I-XIV, all dated 1795) only plate I (added engraved title-plate) carries a drughtsman's signature - that of John Carter. In the sequence of 'Additional Plates' ([XV-]XXVIII), all are signed as drawn by Richard Smirke, apart from pl. [XV] (as drawn by John Dixon), XX (as drawn by James Basire), and XXVIII (unsigned by a draughtsman). All plates in both sequences are signed as engraved by James Basire.
Each plate in both sequences carries the publisher's imprint of the Society of Antiquaries of London.
The in-text illustration on p. [11] is signed 'HCE' (presumably H.C. Englefield).
References
ESTC, T105074
Royal Institute of British Architects, British Architectural Library ... Early printed books, 4 (2001), no. 3111.
M.E. Roberts, 'John Carter at St. Stephen's Chapel: a Romantic turns archaeologist', in England in the fourteenth century, ed. W.M. Ormrod (1986), p. 202-12
J.M. Crook, 'John Carter and the mind of the Gothic Revival', in Society of Antiquaries occasional papers, 17 (1995), p.24
. Smiles, Eye witness: artists and visual documentation in Britain 1770-1830 (2000), esp. chap. 3, 'Recording the Gothic'.
Summary Note
A title variant is found on the added engraved title-plate: 'Plans, Elevations, Sections, and Specimens of the Architecture and Ornaments, of the remaining parts of St. Stephens Chapel Westminster Erected by Edward III.'
No publication-date is given on the title page, but that of 1795 is carried by the added engraved title-plate (pl. I) and by plates II-XIV. Later publication-dates are carried by other plates: 1805, by the 'Additional Plates' [XV-]XVII; 1806, by pl. XVIII-XX and XXVIII; 1807, by pl. XXI-XXVII; and 1811, by the illustration on page [11]. It seems that plates I-XIV were published in 1795 (bookseller B. Weinreb catalogues a copy dated 1795 with a title-leaf naming William Bulmer as printer), and that the rest were published either in 1811 (the date of the illustration in Englefield's text) or in 1813 (according to Evans) - available either separately or with a reissue of the first part.
The plates show plans, elevations, sections and views of the building, architectural details and paintings (discovered after 1800). The subjects of the paintings are historical or religious - British kings and knights, the infancy of Christ, angels, and saints of the Bible (Job, Tobias, Tobit).
Binding Note
19th-century half calf, green cloth-covered boards; rebacked and recornered in 20th century, black morocco spine-label lettered 'Account Of St. Stephen Chapel - Topham', spine lettered 'R.A.'
Subject
Bible
Architecture - Architecture details - Paintings, European - Paintings, British - Churches - Chapels - Church decoration and ornament - Great Britain - London - Palace of Westminster - St. Stephen's Chapel (Westminster) - History - 14th century - Gothic
Christian art and symbolism - Great Britain - 14th century
Views - Plans - Elevations - Sections - Great Britain - 18th century - 19th century
Pictorial works - Great Britain - 18th century - 19th century