Description
According to the title, the original pictures on which the prints were based were in the collection of the Right Honourable William Beckford, Esq., Lord Mayor of the City of London.
Adriaen van Ostade was one of the most prolific Dutch artists of the 17th century. Trained in the studio of Franz Hals, he became well-known for his lively genre paintings of peasants, domestic and agricultural work, and the trades. Later, influenced by the style of Rembrandt, he employed a warmer palette and deeper chiaroscuro effects, which is the style of these works. He is represented in important museum collections around the world including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Louvre and the Hague.
Anthony Walker was a British draftsman and engraver.
John Boydell (1719-1804) 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. 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.
References:
“Adriaen von Ostade.” The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2000. http://www.encyclopedia.com/articlesnew/09679.html
Maxted, Ian. “The London book trades 1775-1800: a preliminary checklist of members.” Devon County Council. 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
