Pictures of English Landscape

Publication: London, Routledge, Warne, and Routledge, 1863 Formatting: 4to, pp. [vi], xxx, [ii], plus 30 unnumbered leaves of plates. Condition Report: Very Good. The publisher's original green cloth binding, heavily decorated in gilt to the spine and boards, is remarkably well-preserved. The gilt tooling remains astonishingly bright and unoxidised, and the cloth shows minimal signs of shelf-wear beyond minor rubbing to the spine extremities and corners. The binding is structurally sound, tight, and square, with the bevelled edges and all-edges-gilt remaining crisp. Internally, however, the volume displays heavy foxing to the preliminary pages, particularly the title page, which is extensively spotted. This foxing continues intermittently throughout the text block and margins of the plates; fortunately, the main engraved images themselves remain largely unobscured. Ultimately, this is a beautiful, sturdy exterior housing a slightly foxed, but fully intact, interior. Catalogue Note: This is a true 1863 first edition of Myles Birket Foster's masterpiece, a defining work of Victorian wood-engraved illustration. Showcasing thirty exquisite rural scenes engraved by the renowned Dalziel Brothers, this volume is a prime example of the high Victorian 'gift book'. The volume features the publisher's spectacular, richly gilt-blocked cloth binding, synonymous with the lavish production values of the 1860s. Of particular note is the prominent armorial bookplate to the front paste-down belonging to William Tipping, Esq. (1816â"1897), of Brasted Park, Kent. Tipping was a wealthy railway magnate, Conservative Member of Parliament, and a noted antiquarian collector. His residence at Brasted Park is historically notable for having once served as a retreat for Louis Napoleon (Napoleon III). While copies of the 1863 first edition are occasionally encountered on the open market, they are seldom found with the original cloth and gilt decoration in such bright, unrestored condition, making this a highly desirable addition for collectors of Victorian illustration and binding design. A cornerstone of Victorian book illustration, Pictures of English Landscape unites the idyllic, pastoral vision of Myles Birket Foster with the masterful wood-engraving skills of the Dalziel Brothers. Accompanied by "pictures in words" from dramatist and critic Tom Taylor, the book offers a nostalgic, romanticised window into the rural life of 19th-century England. Featuring thirty detailed scenes of harvest fields, tranquil streams, and resting peasants, the work captures the essence of a bygone countryside. Presented in a sumptuous, gilt-laden binding, it exemplifies the very best of Victorian bookmaking and artistic collaboration. …