Colour-printed aquatint. Printed on wove Whatman paper watermarked 1820. In excellent condition. Image size: 7 1/4 x 9 7/8 inches. A fascinating view of J. Isabey's picture gallery in Pall Mall, London, by the celebrated American engraver William James Bennett. William James Bennett (1787-1844) was born in England, and received his artistic training at the celebrated Royal Academy. He garnered a reputation as a watercolourist and exhibited many fine landscapes at the Academy's annual exhibitions. Bennett was one of the principal members of the Society of Painters in Watercolours and helped establish watercolour as a popular medium of artistic expression in England. He displayed an exceptional talent at aquatint and during his career produced many fine prints for some the most lavish English plate books. He emigrated to the United States in 1826, and is best known for his views of American cities, including the Hudson Valley Region, Niagara Falls, and numerous port cities such as New York, Charleston, and New Orleans. Bennett's series of views of American Cities set a standard, and established a compositional formula, for topographical art in America. His views remain the most memorable and beautiful examples of the genre, and they exerted a lasting influence on generations of American artists. This beautiful image of Mr. Isabey's exhibition rooms in Pall Mall is not listed separately amongst Bennett's work, but according to DeSilva and Deak, he completed a number of aquatints in 1820, which are not recorded. It is possible that this picturesque interior scene is one of the images, which was not immediately attributed to Bennett. This charming work closely resembles images published by the leading English printseller Rudolph Ackermann, in particular an image depicting his gallery "The Repository of Arts". As in the Ackermann image, connoisseurs are shown enjoying the exhibition rooms in Isabey's gallery. Jean-Baptiste Isabey (1767-1855) was a French artist and what might be called "artistic entrepreneur". He managed to become Marie Antoinette's artist in residence for miniatures. Later, he designed Napoleon and Josephine's coronation and published drawings of his own work and others commemorating the event. The exhibition in London depicted here would have been more successful than it was, but it coincided with George IV's divorce, during which most British aristocrats fled to their country estates. Deak, William James Bennett p. 3-26; DeSilva, William James Bennett: Painter and Engraver, p. 39-42.

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Bibliographic Details

Title

Monsr. J. Isabey's Exhibition Rooms, 61 Pall Mall / Salle d'Exhibition de J. Isabey, a Londres

Publisher

Published by J. Isabey

Publication Date

1820

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Store Description

Donald A. Heald Rare Books offers the finest examples of antiquarian books and prints in the areas of Botany, Ornithology, Natural History, Americana & Canadiana, Native Americans, Voyages & Travels, Maps & Atlases, Photography and more. Founded in England in 1972, we have formed and contributed to important private and institutional collections. Items of note which we have placed include a unique copy of Abbot?s "Natural History of the Rarer Lepidopterous Insects of Georgia" with plates on vellum, an extremely rare extra-illustrated large paper Spanish edition of Blaeu?s "Atlas Mayor," Curtis's "North American Indian," a copy of the Federalist Papers in boards, the first separate printing of the Bill of Rights, and a large paper issue of Redout�'s "Les Roses" with the plates in two states. We are renowned for our extensive print inventory which is unsurpassed in quality. Our Sporting collection recently incorporated the complete print stock of Ackermann & Son of London, established in 1783. We are members of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America, where Mr. Heald has served on the Board of Governors as Treasurer, Security Chairperson, and as Chairman of the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair. We are members of the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers, and the American Historical Print Collectors Society. Mr. Heald is a member of the Grolier Club, and the American Antiquarian Society.

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Donald A. Heald Rare Books (ABAA)
NY, U.S.A.

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