The Romantic And Picturesque Scenery Of England and Wales, From Drawings made Expressly For This Undertaking, By P. J. De Loutherbourg, Esq. R. A. With Historical And Descriptive Accounts Of The Several Places Of Which Views Are Given. Engraved By William Pickett, And Coloured By John Clarke.

RA Collection: Book

Record number

05/1359

Author

Variant Title

Scènes Romantiques Et Pittoresques, De L'Angleterre et du Pays de Galles
P.I. De Loutherbourg's Picturesque Scenery Of Great Britain

Imprint

London: Printed For Robert Bowyer, At The Historic Gallery, Pall Mall, By T. Bensley, Bolt-Court, Fleet-Street., 1805. [i.e. ca. 1824]

Physical Description

[76] p., added engr. t.-pl., [18] pl.; 494 mm.

[Added engr. t.-pl., t.p. (English), t.p. (French)] - [Plates, with text.]

Responsibility Note

No plate is signed.

Only the added engraved title-plate carries the imprint of the publisher: 'Published by R. Bowyer Historic Gallery Pall Mall 1801'.

References

R.V. Tooley, English Books With Coloured Plates 1790 To 1860 A Bibliographical Account (1954; repr. 1987), nos. 305, 306, p.250; Scenery Of Great Britain And Ireland In Aquatint And Lithography 1770-1860 From The Library Of J.R. Abbey A Bibliographical Catalogue (1952, repr. 1972 and 1991), no.10.

R.W. Hutton, Robert Bowyer and the Historic Gallery [dissertation, Univy. of Chicago] (1992); R. Joppien, Philippe Jacques de Loutherbourg RA 1740-1812 [exhibition catalogue] (1973).

On the Picturesque aesthetic see M. Andrews, The search for the Picturesque (1989); D. Watkin, The English vision: the Picturesque in architecture, landscape and garden design (1982); M. Price, 'The Picturesque moment', in From sensibility to Romanticism, ed. F.W. Hilles and H. Bloom (1965), p.356-8; W.J. Hipple, The beautiful, the sublime and the picturesque in 18th-century British aesthetic theory (1957); C. Hussey, The Picturesque (1927).

Summary Note

A French title is given on the second title-page: 'Scènes Romantiques Et Pittoresques, De L'Angleterre et du Pays de Galles, D'Après Les Dessins Faits Exprès Pour Cette Entreprise Par P.J. De Loutherbourg ... Gravées Par Guillaume Pickett, Et Coloriées Par Jean Clarke. A Londres: Pour Robert Bowyer, Galerie Historique ... 1805'. The text is printed throughout first in English, then in French. The title on the added engraved title-plate included in this edition reads, 'P.I. De Loutherbourg's Picturesque Scenery Of Great Britain'.

The date of publication printed on the English and French title-pages is 1805. A publication-date of 1801 is given in the imprint on the added engraved title-plate. But this plate is simply a reprint of the title-plate of Loutherbourg's Picturesque Scenery of Great Britain, published by R. Bowyer in 1801; and in fact its presence indicates that we have here the edition ca. 1824 of The Picturesque Scenery Of England and Wales, for it is not known to have been inserted in the original 1805 edition. That this is the 1824 edition is confirmed by the absence of signatures and imprints from the plates, by the watermark dates of 1822 and 1824, and by the resetting of the letter-press text. (Differences between the two editions are set out in Scenery Of Great Britain ... From The Library Of J.R. Abbey, no.9.)

The plates are all aquatints, further coloured by hand.

Each plate carries a caption in English: [1] View From Chigwell Row, Essex. [2] Storm Off Margate. [3] Dudley castle Gate. [4] The Needles, Isle Of Wight. [5] Brathay Bridge. [6] gate Of Carisbrook Castle. [7] Iron Works, Coalbrook Dale. [8] Melen Y Nant, Near Snowdon. [9] Ramsgate. [10] Ruin At Basingstoke. [11] Lake Of Wyndermere. [12] Peaks Hole, Derbyshire. [13] Tintern Abbey. [14] Snowdon. [15] Chepstow Castle. [16] Llyn Ogween. [17] Cataract On The Llugwy. [18] Conway Castle.

Loutherbourg had been touring and painting the landscape of Britain since 1778. His work includes views not only of Derbyshire, the Lakes and Wales but also of industrial sites such as Coalbrookdale.

Binding Note

19th-century marbled-papered boards; rebacked and recornered in 20th century, green morocco spine-label lettered 'De Loutherbourg - Scenery. 1805', spine lettered 'R.A.'

Name as Subject

Philippe Jacques de Loutherbourg RA

Subject

Landscapes (environments) - Great Britain - 18th century - 19th century
Landscapes (representations) - Drawings - Great Britain - 18th century - 19th century - Picturesque, the
Views - Great Britain - 19th century
Pictorial works - Aquatints - Colour printing - Hand coloring - Great Britain - 19th century