Description
“SUCH A SUCCESSION OF BEAUTIFUL PLATES IS SCARCELY TO BE FOUND”: WILLIAM DANIELL’S VOYAGE ROUND GREAT BRITAIN, 1814-25
DANIELL, William and AYTON, Richard. A Voyage Round Great Britain, Undertaken in the Summer of the Year 1813, and Commencing from the Land’s-End, Cornwall? with a Series of Views, Illustrative of the Character and Prominent Features of the Coast, Drawn and Engraved by William Daniell. London: T. Davison for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme and Brown and William Daniell, 1814-25. Eight volumes. Quarto, mid 19th-century half red morocco gilt, raised bands, marbled boards, endpapers, and edges.
Splendid first edition of this “classic of aquatint engraving? a treasure-house of beauty” (Prideaux), with aquatint dedication leaf (uncolored), 308 hand-colored aquatint plates and one uncolored stipple-engraving, all by and after William Daniell, and including the separately issued large aquatint folding index chart.
In 1786, William Daniell accompanied his uncle Thomas to India, where they spent nine years making camera obscura studies, sketches and drawings of the scenery, architecture, and antiquities that graced the countryside. The resulting Oriental Scenery (1795-1808), with its remarkably accurate aquatints, a medium they discovered to be “especially suited to the imitation of wash-drawings in sepia or bistre” (Prideaux, 94), is considered one of the finest illustrated works on India. “As a result of this rigorous apprenticeship, he became one of the greatest aquatinters of the 19th century? He was able to translate a watercolor into a skillful aquatint, preserving at the same time with the greatest sensitivity the style of the original” (Archer, 224). Building upon that success, William undertook a voyage around the British Isles, starting from Land’s End and continuing by the north coast of Cornwall, making his way partly by sea and partly by land. Daniell was to produce aquatints of the rugged British coastline and Richard Ayton was asked to contribute the descriptions. The Introduction to A Voyage Round Great Britain states that “while the inland counties of England had been so hackneyed by travelers and quartos, the coast has hitherto been almost unaccountably neglected, and if we except a few fashionable watering-places, is entirely unknown to the public… But many, who would not venture in pursuit of amusement out of the latitude of good inns and level roads, to make paths for themselves over rocks and crags, may still be pleased to become acquainted at a cheaper rate, with the character of their own shores, where most conspicuous for boldness and picturesque beauty. It is the design, therefore, of the following voyage, minutely to describe the whole coast of Great Britain; not merely… its well-known towns, ports, and havens, but to illustrate the grandeur of its natural scenery, the manners and employment of its people and the modes of life in its wildest parts.” The final production was “a magnificent series of plates, almost all of equal quality. Valuable as a record and exquisite in its presentation. The most important color plate book on British topography” (Tooley 177). “Such a succession of beautiful plates is scarcely to be found elsewhere, and they are unsurpassed both in delicacy of drawing and tinting? The plates in which sea-birds circle above the rugged cliffs are especially fine… but it is impossible to make any individual selections from such a treasure-house of beauty” (Prideaux, 279-80). The work was originally issued in parts, with an index chart available for an extra price. The coloring of the plates in this set is particularly fine, and this copy is unusual in that the plates have been collected at the end of each volume rather than being bound opposite the relevant text, thus preventing the often dark offsetting of the text onto the plates. Abbey, Scenery 16. Prideaux, 326. Tooley 177.
Some spotting or browning to text, but without the usual offsetting of text to plates. Scarce folding chart linen-backed. A splendid copy.
