Unknown

18th-Century Engraving, Ancient English Dresses

c. 1797

This charming late 19th-century lithograph was produced by Freudenthal & Co for clothing manufacturers, TJ Thomas & Ellis Jones, to showcase the latest fashion. There are 17 styles including the DB Gladstone (after the Prime Minister), Ulster, Demi Sac, Tourist Blouse, Frock Coat and D B Prince Alfred. There’s also a Riding Habit for the lady. TJ Thomas & Ellis Jones were based at 138 Queen Victoria Street...

This late 19th-century mixed-method engraving by George Sidney Hunt (1856-1917) after Edwin Long RA (1829-1891) is one in a series of three depicting the Old Testament story of Jephthah. Here, we see Jephthah’s daughter contemplating her fate during a two-month sojourn in the wilderness. The heart-rending story of Jephthah captured Victorian minds and inspired artist Edwin Long to produce three exhibition pieces, which are now held at the Russell Cotes Art Gallery & Museum. Prior to a fearsome battle with the Ammonites, Jephthah, a leader in Isreal, committed a vow to God that he’d make a sacrifice if his armies were triumphant. “whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the Lord’s, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering...

This exquisite early 20th-century etching by Swedish artist Axel Wallert (1890-1962) depicts a seated woman playing the mandolin. It’s brimming with style yet captured with sensitivi...

This late-19th-century etching by German draughtsman Albert Kruger (b. 1858) is after a painting by Max Liebermann (1847-1935). The rhythmical monotony of the spinners, organised like a rigid machine, echoes through the low barn. Youths, hunched by square windows, wind flax onto spindles. While women stand in clogged feet, working tirelessly with aching bones. Liebermann captured their daily grind with aplomb, avoiding sentiment in favour of laborious reality. Yet, amid this harsh environment, he celebrates their efforts. The composition conveys determination with its lines and strong verticals while the atmosphere is one of steel rather than tortuous circumstance. Liebermann was a realist yet he found light among the ordinary. Originally published in The Art Journal...

This charming mid-19th-century hand-coloured lithograph depicts the ‘Enterprise Steam Omnibus’, the most successful steam carriage of its period. In the early 19th century, long-distance travel was predominantly undertaken by horse-drawn carriages. Yet, every so often, the clitter-clatter of hooves was abruptly overshadowed by the whir of steam-powered technology. From around 1801, several plucky inventors began developing carriages which could propel themselves via steam. The majority were notoriously unreliable, often breaking down, too slow to be practical, and occasionally exploding. The first steam-powered carriage, invented by Richard Trevithick of Cornwall, made its debut in 1801. It was known as ‘The Puffing Devil’ or ‘Captain Dick’s Puffer’ and said to cause quite a fright when trundling towards you. But this, like several others, couldn’t sustain the rigours of regular long distance trips, which were required to support the cost of running them. Walter Hancock’s (1799-1852) carriages were different. They became the first to run regularly - initially from Stratford and London via the ‘Infant’, a ten-seater bus, and in 1833, between London Wall and Paddington via ‘The Enterprise’, which we see here. Hancock’s machines were revolutionary due to his patented steam boiler (which had less risk of exploding). The Enterprise also had a pioneering suspended engine along with several other clever additions. Driving it was a tricky affair with three operators required - one to steer and control the speed, a second to monitor the boiler’s water level, and a third to maintain the fire. It’s unclear how the three communicated over the omnipresent din. In total, Hancock’s machines carried 12,761 passengers across 4,200 miles, an incredible achievement given the constraints of the day and the condition of the roads. The Enterprise was lauded in Europe and the US, with this particular image featuring in the New York press. The lithograph is based upon an earlier engraving...

This early 20th-century watercolour by British artist George Goodwin Kilburne (1845-1932) depicts a loving scene from the early 19th century. With her daughter looking on, mother adj...

London: J. Taylor, 1820. Etching and aquatint with engraving on cream wove paper with a gilded edge, 11 1/2 x 14 3/4 inches (290 x 374 mm), full margins. Small spots of adhesive resi...

London: J. Taylor, 1820. Etching and aquatint with engraving on cream wove paper with a gilded edge, 11 1/2 x 14 3/4 inches (290 x 374 mm), full margins. Small spots of adhesive residue from a former mount at each edge on the recto. Light ghost impression in the area of the sky. Scattered minor areas of light brown discoloration, with a 3 3/4 inch horizontal edge loss along the lower left sheet edge, outside of the platemark. Colors remain fresh. Plate No. 3 from Wonders: Images of the Ancient World. Likely printed 1828. A view of the Temple of Hercules Victor...

This portrait of King George the III's son was published in the same year that Beethoven's Ninth Symphony premiered in London. 'The Protestants Champion!!' (Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex...

A beautiful, dark impression of a bucolic cow path. Etching with drypoint on heavy cream wove paper, 6 5/8 x 9 7/8 inches (174 x 248 mm), full margins. Uniform light brown discolorat...

London: James Whittle & Richard Holmes Laurie, 1814. Engraving with hand coloring in watercolor on wove paper, 11 1/2 x 17 1/4 inches (290 x 437 mm). Condition issues include signif...

A rare early 19th century view of the Great Fire of London over Ludgate, enhanced with hand coloring. London: Robert Wilkinson, 1811. Copperplate engraving with hand coloring in wa...