Byways among English books / by Cyril Davenport.

  • Cyril James Humphries Davenport
Date:
1927
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Byways among English books / by Cyril Davenport. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    then finished in water-colours. The peculiar water-colour effect that can be so well given by the aquatint process shows to perfection in the reproductions of Rowlandson’s paintings done in this way. The publisher Ackermann was a good friend to Rowland¬ son and started him in his career by publishing the “ School¬ master’s Tour” in the Poetical Magazine of 1809-11. This was republished in 1813 under the title of The Tour of Dr. Syntax in Search of the Picturesque, and in this book the illustrations have been etched and aquatinted by Rowlandson himself. In 1821 was published The Third Tour of Dr. Syntax in Search of a Wife. All these are worthy of collection whenever they can be found, especially the second one. Rowlandson also published the Dance of Deathmi^>i\y and the Dance of Life in 1822. In 1825 came the Spirit of Public Journals and the English Spy, and the Humourist in 1831. He also illustrated several books by T. G. Smollett, Oliver Goldsmith, and L. Sterne. Rowlandson’s drawings are always forcible and brilli¬ antly drawn ; his book illustrations are the pleasantest examples of his art, as his larger works are often in very doubtful taste. He evidently loved low life, but he in¬ vented Dr. Syntax, who has not yet lost his popularity. Henry Aiken (1784-1851) was a very popular illustrator of sporting subjects. His draughtsmanship is not always as good as it might be, and as a student of horses in motion he cannot be compared with Randolph Caldecott of a much later date. Aiken, however, had a considerable power of composition and liveliness, and his grouping of figures is often very good. He worked in several ways, but most of his best work was done in lithography, aquatint, or soft-ground etching,and much of it was in colour. Soft-ground etchings are easily done by using a soft ground in the copper with a piece of thin paper laid over it, on which the drawing