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MALTON (THOMAS) A Picturesque Tour through the Cities of London and Westminster, Illustrated with the Most Interesting Views, Accurately Delineated, and Executed in Aquatinta, 2 vol. in 1, FIRST EDITION, T. Bensley for T. Malton, 1792-[1801] image 1
MALTON (THOMAS) A Picturesque Tour through the Cities of London and Westminster, Illustrated with the Most Interesting Views, Accurately Delineated, and Executed in Aquatinta, 2 vol. in 1, FIRST EDITION, T. Bensley for T. Malton, 1792-[1801] image 2
MALTON (THOMAS) A Picturesque Tour through the Cities of London and Westminster, Illustrated with the Most Interesting Views, Accurately Delineated, and Executed in Aquatinta, 2 vol. in 1, FIRST EDITION, T. Bensley for T. Malton, 1792-[1801] image 3
MALTON (THOMAS) A Picturesque Tour through the Cities of London and Westminster, Illustrated with the Most Interesting Views, Accurately Delineated, and Executed in Aquatinta, 2 vol. in 1, FIRST EDITION, T. Bensley for T. Malton, 1792-[1801] image 4
Lot 14

MALTON (THOMAS)
A Picturesque Tour through the Cities of London and Westminster, 2 vol. in 1, HAND-COLOURED COPY, T. Bensley for T. Malton, 1792-[1801]

20 November 2024, 13:00 GMT
London, Knightsbridge

Sold for £7,680 inc. premium

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MALTON (THOMAS)

A Picturesque Tour through the Cities of London and Westminster, Illustrated with the Most Interesting Views, Accurately Delineated, and Executed in Aquatinta, 2 vol. in 1, FIRST EDITION, engraved calligraphic titles, engraved dedication to the Prince of Wales with hand-coloured aquatint vignette, letterpress list of subscribers, and 100 FINE HAND-COLOURED AQUATINT PLATES, some with light foxing visible only in margins, others with margins trimmed (3 with loss of imprint, a few with imprint shaved, a number in volume 2 without plate numbers), full burgundy straight-grain panelled morocco gilt by Bayntun Riviere, sides with elaborate roll-tool borders and a carnation in each corner, inner panel with gilt rule border incorporating further carnations and spiral tooling, gilt panelled spine in 6 compartments separated by gilt tooled bands, gilt lettered in one compartment, the others decorated with carnations and pointille within borders of floral tendrils and drawer handle tools, inner gilt dentelles, g.e., slight rubbing to joints (upper one just beginning to crack at head), 404 x 295mm. [Abbey Scenery 204; B. Adams, London illustrated 1604-1851 (1983), no. 72, p.170-5], folio (405 x 300mm.), T. Bensley for T. Malton, 1792-[1801]

Footnotes

ONE OF THE FIRST AND FINEST SERIES OF LONDON VIEWS - RARE HAND-COLOURED COPY IN A HANDSOME BAYNTUN RIVIERE BINDING.

Thomas Malton (1748-1804) exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy, and was principally known for his views of the capital's streets, squares and buildings. He also designed scenery for Covent Garden Theatre and ran a drawing school whose students included Turner and Girtin. The 100 meticulously observed views in the Picturesque Tour Through London were all composed, engraved and aquatinted by Malton, a remarkable endeavour at a time when the aquatint process was still in its infancy in England. The work represents the first large collection of aquatints of London, or anywhere else in the country, and includes views of Chelsea Hospital, Hyde Park, Grosvenor Square, Westminster Abbey, The Horse Guards, Charing Cross, St. Martin's in the Fields, The Adelphi, Covent Garden, Somerset House, St. Paul's, Mansion House, The Bank of England, Royal Exchange and Greenwich Hospital.

"The Picturesque Tour is remarkable, if not unique, in that the 100 large plates of which it is composed were all engraved and aquatinted by the artist in person" (Bernard Adam). "Like Horwood's Plan – and unlike works like Modern London or the Microcosm – Malton's book was pitched as a solo endeavour, a vision of the city produced by a man keen to establish his cultural credentials and capable of fine artistry, accurate perception, technological innovation and skilful composition... London looms in Malton in ways that most other contemporary illustrations fail to capture. The metropolis is not a threatening city in his works, but it is one that reaches up in great spires and vaulting arches, a place of proud ingenuity and soaring, untroubled magnificence" (Matthew Sangster, www.romanticlondon.org/maltons-picturesque-tour-intro/).

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