The Boydell Gallery. A Collection of Engravings Illustrating the Dramatic Works of Shakespeare, by the Artists of Great Britain.

Folio, pp., [2] prelims, 11, and complete with 97 full-page woodburytype plates, from engravings, all captioned to 97 unsigned pages. In a superb deluxe binding by Bickers & Son of brown full crushed morocco over bevelled boards, frames in heavily ornate gilt to boards, decorative gilt within compartments to spine; rules and star tools in gilt to turn-ins, titled in gilt to black leather spine label. All edges gilt. Marbled end-papers. Corners lightly bumped and rubbed, upper joint a little worn to head. Some superficial indentations to boards, and rubbed title label. Occasional light scattered foxing, but contents otherwise clean and neat. A very good copy. A splendid later reprint of the great illustrated book of Shakespeariana. John Boydell's Shakespeare Gallery began in 1786 as an attempt to create a British school of history painting, which would culminate in this folio of prints. The Boydell Gallery commissioned work from the leading light in the world of British art: Angelica Kauffman, George Romney, Benjamin West, and Joshuas Reynolds among them. It spawned some of the most iconic pictorial depictions of Shakespeare's plays, all faithfully reproduced in this volume with the use of early photographic reproduction. A superb copy in an outstanding binding. ODNB.…