The Dramatic Works. Revised by George Steevens.

SHAKESPEARE, William.

Published by London Printed by W. Bulmer & Co. for John and Joshua Boydell ., 1802

About this Item

9 volumes. Folio (41 x 31.5 cm). Contemporary full straight-grained dark purple morocco, raised bands, titles and decorations to compartments gilt, elaborate frames to boards in gilt and blind, all edges gilt, elaborate rolls to turn-ins gilt, dark green silk endpapers and inlays. 2 engraved portraits and 95 full-page engraved plates. Spines light sunned, extremities lightly rubbed, boards occasionally slightly scuffed, intermittent foxing to text block, occasional mild spotting to margins, light offsetting from plates. Overall an excellent, handsome set. The numerous copperplates are engraved after paintings by many of the leading artists of the time, including Reynolds, Smirke, Northcote, Porter, Stothard, Hamilton, Bunbury, Opie, and Westall. Complete as issued. No table of contents or list of plates is given, but the plates correspond with the list given in "Boydell's Graphic illustrations of the dramatic works of Shakspeare,"(1803) a separate issue of the plates alone, except that the latter lacks a variation of the first plate in Richard III (Gloster and the princes) while it has in addition (as frontispiece) "Shakspeare nursed by Tragedy and Comedy," a portrait of John Boydell, a variation of Juliet's supposed death, and a second plate in Titus Adronicus (Lavinia pursuing her young nephew, by T. Kirk) In turn "Boydell's Graphic illustrations &c." should not be confused with their "Collection of prints, from pictures painted for the purpose of illustrating the dramatic works of Shakspeare," London, 1803, two elephant folios containing larger plates (100, including the portraits of the King and Queen prefixed, and the two title-vignettes) most of which are entirely different from these smaller plates.

Seller Inventory # 60172

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Dramatic Works. Revised by George Steevens.
• Publisher: London Printed by W. Bulmer & Co. for John and Joshua Boydell .
• Publication Date: 1802
• Binding: Hardcover
• Seller catalogs:
  • BINDINGS & SETS
  • LITERATURE