Description
John Boydell was a successful and influential printseller and engraver. Boydell’s Shakespeare Gallery is credited with changing the course of English painting by creating a market for historical and literary works. He also encouraged the development of engraving in England with, among other things, his prints illustrating scenes from Shakespearean plays. By the late 1760s he was a successful entrepreneur in print publishing and retailing, successfully marketing his prints across the continent; he also became Lord Mayor of London in 1790. In 1773, his nephew Josiah Boydell (1752-1817) became his business partner and later his successor, trading as J. & J. Boydell.
Condition: Generally very good with the usual light toning, wear, soiling, soft creases. Original colors bright.
References:
Maxted, Ian. “The London book trades 1775-1800: a preliminary checklist of members.” 2001. http://www.devon.gov.uk/library/locstudy/bookhist/lonb.html
Rusche, Harry. “Boydell’s Shakespeare Gallery.” Emory University. 1998. http://www.emory.edu/ENGLISH/classes/Shakespeare_Illustrated/Boydell.html