Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-01-14
HopdelPs Illustrations of ShaEspeare.

prints in DR.. Spooner's American edition of Bow
delrs celebrated one hundred Illustrations of
Shakespeare. The history ofthese remarkable en-
cravings is very curious, and furnishes the best
evidence of their value as works of art. We ac-
cordingly copy from little pamphlet placed in
our hands by Mr.. Macomber, the genlemanlv and
intelligent agent, the following Interesting nara
tive, by the New York Commercial Advertiser, of
| the circumstances, under which Boydell oricina.
| ted and completed his magnificent collection:
ga CURIors PIECE OF ilIsToRY.-About the wear
1885, Alderman J. Boydell, OF London conceived the
project Of establishing a Shakespeare Gallery upon
scale OF grandeur and magnificence which should be
in accordance with the fame Of the poet and at the
same time, reflect honor upon the state of the arts
| in Great Britain and throughout the world Mr. Boy
| dell was at this time man o great wealth and in
| uence and patron OF the fine arts. being an en-
graver himself, and having accumulated his fortune
| mostly by dealings in works of that character.
He advertised for designs from artists throughout
Great Britain and paid guinea for every one submitted
whether accepted not, and for every one accepted by
the committee, prize of one hundred guiueas. The
committee for selecting these designs composed Of
five eminent artists. Boydell himself being the pres-
dent The first painters OF the age were then employ
| ed to paint these pictures, among whom were Sir
Joshua Reynolds, Sir Benjamin West Fushli, ROM
| ney, Norhcoe, Smirke, Sir William Beechy and
Allan Cunningham, in his Lives of Eminent British
Artists, mentions that Sir Joshua Reynolds was at
& p o SoI 3 pd,i a. % on
a an d oe a ~ ssi ms appro
oaoh ana c1Hnn De- psiysely seit mn leler en-
~ LIZ 1870 t ;, :, h; nuo' ano ie9 9
ny mn W pain. Mo ne d .. LIS 1w WI pLlce' What
was never known magnificent building erected
in Pail Mall to exhibit this immense collection, called
;J e + pa ' , N wac io' ione 'i'e 'e
The first engravers of England were EMPLOYED to
transfer these gems to "copper" and such artists Sharp
Ei w ;I ] on th iliuui'at a,son,
w nson a,la & eAeieu lhelr !aehts
hn M now , ,bs five Years as '9 "a
o i Vi nole 'ial ivy yaie as Oh sngle
"lG an Piooa nPiesrro i "oo 'aheh or suoscfnefs
az. os. e,eiy se W '.,e woh ~ iens.l, III l'o"
a.el nealy Me"'y 3eals' ne wolN was competed
ne price lAtu Mf %as never ieuueeo2 was TWO
suioa eI ~; ~. . .l ell, '''esslons' anu he s"o
ls' was .,en ieu up at one sunea each' or
o'S nuIoeu aunsnI h ss' u, o"t nunoltu piates.
n1eiuos ueso ,I too' iorfG uon1t'ons were
h'ue ny many ., .l'e ouoilel VI T'g,ahd, 10 aceu-
rage lLe unoerakis' ana 10 enaple boydeI 10 meet
ms enonous ou.iay. i5 .oSs VI e Wloe Wo[h, rom
.9 Goi 10 % ~ 1--we uesi, ho'e 'l.au que
hlon pouuus anu al.nou9n NE Pfoleclor was
WEALTHY AZ nlan wne e m H. ne uea soo,
az 81 f3so 600 '' '''r " N' " " o"'
Vi 5000 ia" 49,. ,.a o.o ;,,1 p1u .,,;oJ
ps er ,os 70 p hnes & -, dnos, 81 he pjIr
i,; h., " i,tr, ria neti'ion wos orantaI 'd
The whole collection was thus disposed o. One Of the
Ines. Of these p ,e e hns Lear, by o Benjamin
One fact in relation to these plates gives great value
to Them. AL the ptncpal historical characters are
every picture gallery and old castle in England was
ransacked to iurnsh these portraits.
from the plates they were laid aside some OF Them
having been worn but little, while others required
much labor to restore them to their original beauty.
| lew copies OF the work have been brought to this
country at different times, and are now to be found
IN The hands OF amateurs and IN public Libraries. Many
OF the SINGLE prints nave been sold IN this city at from
| pI Inn ip,np
| BILE to procure them at any price, and nothing but the
occasional breaking up OF apubc, or extensive pr
vate library, gives any opportunity OF procuring them.
by some means winch cannot now be accounted tor.
the one hundred, weighing nearly 1000 pounds, have
been purchased oy III. .. 2pooher' OF TINS Guy Inns
gentleman, who has long been conversant with works
mas on p ,h work. o M s sa Out sleII
been peculiarly fortunate in securing the services Of
~ t a .has ,s =, no ORDINARY e
the celebrated Chew when the latter was engaged
on these same plates originally ana as Thew was con-
ing, twill be seen that there is every reason to SUPPOSE
Mr Parker wei qoailed to 40 Justice to the work Dr.
Of the labor, and has succeeded in restoring number
OF the plates 10 such perfection that proofs from them
o",o' NC ''on 'e oisn"i ihp'ess'o"s'
Ihe testhhohy Vi llie Soiillerciai DIS 10 lhe ac-
curacy with which the work of resornp the
,,,o..:h. .,o,, xouc,.,,o1 = .c,Is,
PA"'oiiN' DSoiA P@A oiA'SN ~ S"'io" ~ Ill uio
prominent journals of the North, and the follow |
.,;c. ;a l.,
NY eeiunoa'o' sieneu W many oi'iie ilost ELL
inent citizens of New York. must satisfy every
$40 of+lo s,,oooss of H. S,oo,o.,, 1o.,s,.;;
o''e Vi '''e suooess VI H. oPooher Undertaking
I'VE, me nnaetsgneo' hayng eHamn 1, some OF the
Shakespeare and compared the proofs taken from them
by boyei himself with inos s taken by d. = Spooner
restored hv him give il a. onr deliberate onniop and
Judgment that ms efforts to restore his magnificent
md to the American public as Icing
in every respect worthy OF their liberal patronage, and
NAV become its possessors but Also to encourage and
promote the advancement OF the Fine Arts in our eoun-
Ma, vo,l M,rc1 1913