301 - Boydell Shakespeare Gallery, 1803

Boydell Shakespeare Gallery, 1803 Large lot comprising 54 plates plus two title pages from A Collection Of Prints, From Pictures Painted For The Purpose Of Illustrating The Dramatic Works Of Shakspeare, By The Artists Of Great-Britain.Engraving, stipple engraving and etching, 550 × 775 mm (each sheet).The Boydell Shakespeare Gallery was a project conceived by the London publisher John Boydell. He created a gallery of paintings and sculptures illustrating the works of William Shakespeare and produced an illustrated edition of prints based on this series of paintings by various contemporary artists.Boydell enlisted the most eminent painters and printmakers of the period to contribute paintings for the gallery and illustrations for the edition. Among the artists were Richard Westall, Thomas Stothard, George Romney, Henry Fuseli, Benjamin West, Angelica Kauffman, Robert Smirke, James Durno, John Opie, Francesco Bartolozzi, Thomas Kirk, Henry Thomson, and Boydell’s nephew and business partner, Josiah Boydell.Impressions printed on wove paper. Wide margins preserved. Three plates hand-coloured. Overall, the sheets are in good condition, but some present defects including light scattered water stains, browning, wormholes in the margins, some tears and folds. Binding holes on each sheet.