Rowlandson the Caricaturist; a Selection from His Works. Vol. 2Grego, Joseph
History
Rowlandson the Caricaturist; a Selection from His Works. Vol. 2
Grego, Joseph
English wit and humor, Pictorial; Rowlandson, Thomas, 1756-1827
The old subjects, it appears, were re-engraved by Rowlandson's hand,
with but slight variations from the originals. The outlines are
somewhat less bold, and three new subjects are added; one being the
frontispiece, which represents the worthy Doctor at his desk, seated
in his armchair, in deep cogitation, touching his forehead as the idea
of his famous _Picturesque Tour_ suggests itself to his brain. The
window of his study is opened, that he may contemplate the exterior
prospect at his ease, while a sketch, by his own hand, in India-ink,
is displayed before him. Various papers and books are scattered about,
with sundry objects which indicate his versatile accomplishments--a
fiddle hung on the wall, books of travel, sheets of the Doctor's
original treatise--_Every Man his own Farrier_--with a goodly jar of
_cherry bounce_ to rejoice the learned man's spirits.
On the titlepage is engraved a quaint vignette of architectural relics,
ruins, a castle, &c., the detached monuments being disposed so as to
form the word _Picturesque_.
The third addition is plate 27, in the body of the Tour, introducing
_The Doctor's Dream_ (in his patron's library) _of the Battle of the
Books_, which was not included in the work on its original publication.
This edition is preceded by an Introduction, which in some degree
explains the relative positions--as far as the preparation of the
work was concerned--of the artist and William Combe, the author, who
thus sets the matter before his public: 'The following poem, if it
may be allowed to deserve the name, was written under circumstances
whose peculiarity may be thought to justify a communication of them. I
undertook to give metrical illustrations of the prints with which Mr.
Ackermann decorated the _Poetical Magazine_, a work published by him
in monthly numbers, for the reception of original compositions. Many
of these engravings were miscellaneous, and those (which were, indeed,
the far greater part of them) whose description was submitted to such
a muse as mine represented views of interesting objects and beautiful
scenery, or were occasional decorations appropriate to the work. Those
designs, to which this volume is so greatly indebted, I was informed,
would follow in a _series_, and it was proposed to me to shape out a
story from them. An etching, or a drawing, was accordingly sent to me
every month, and I composed a certain proportion of verse, in which,
of course, the subject of the design was included; the rest depended
on what my imagination could furnish. When the first print was sent
to me I did not know what would be the subject of the second; and in
this manner, in a great measure, the artist continued designing, and I
continued writing, every month for two years, till a work containing
near ten thousand lines was produced; the artist and the writer having
no personal communication with or knowledge of each other....
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account