Boydell's graphic illustrations of the Dramatic works, of Shakspeare
Subtitle: consisting of a series of prints forming an elegant and useful companion to the various editions of his work, engraved from pictures, purposely painted by the very first artists, and lately exhibited at the Shakspeare gallery
Contributors: Boydell, Josiah, 1752-1817; Smirke, Robert, 1752-1845; Hamilton, William, 1751-1801; Westall, Richard, 1765-1836
Publisher: Pub. by Mess.rs Boydell & co.
Published: 1804
Place of publication: London
Language: eng
Subjects: Illustrations
Notes: Engr. t.-p. partly in script.

Separate issue of the plates prepared for Boydell's ed. of Shakespeare, 1802. Though called "a selection" the plates correspond with those in the L.C. copy of the works, except that the separate issue has an addition "Shakspeare nursed by Tragedy and Comedy" (frontispiece) a portrait of Boydell, another plate in Titus Andronicus (Lavinia pursuing her young nephew) and a variation of Opie's Juliet on her couch, "engraved by W. Blake": while it lacks a variation of the first plate in Richard III (Gloster and the princes) found in the works.

A descriptive index and alphabetical list of the plates are prefixed. More than half the plates, which are dated 1791-1803, are by R. Smirke, W. Hamilton, R. Westall, F. Wheatley, and James Northcote, with a few each by Reynolds, Opic, Stothard, and others. Among the engravers who contributed most work are James Parker, Anker Smith, and James Heath. This collection has been confused with that entitled: "A collection of prints, from pictures painted for the purpose of illustrating the dramatic works of Shakspeare," London, 1803, two large fol. v. containing larger plates (100 including the portraits of the King and Queen prefixed, and the two title-vignettes) most of which are entirely different from these smaller plates.