- Museum number
- 1913,0415.164
- Title
- Object: India-Proofs of Wood-Engravings by The Brothers Dalziel
- Description
-
Album with hand-written title page: 'India-Proofs of Wood-Engravings by The Brothers Dalziel. General Work - Various: 1848: 1849:1850:1851. This Book was made up at the time the engravings shown in it were done.' The album includes approximately 1847 wood-engraved proofs.
There is a wide variety of book and magazine illustration, including of literature, topography, travel, paintings and ancient sculpture. There are comical and satirical cartoons, calendar months and ornamental borders. There are numerous illustrations for children, including spelling books, ballad collections and fairy tales. There are commercial images of furniture and other items. This volume also has numerous illustrations, large and small, that relate to the Great Exhibition of 1851.
Many of the proofs are touched with white. They often have brief pencil annotations, usually with dates, presumably of production and/or publication. On some, instructions for corrections appear to have been trimmed off. Most of the proofs are cut around the edges of the design, and several also have pieces cut out of them, following the lines of the design. This is almost certainly because of blank areas which had not yet been removed from the block, resulting in inappropriate black patches. There is evidence of such patches in some of the proofs, and it is likely they were cut out elsewhere. In most prints in this volume, proofs have been taken before the Dalziels's signature was engraved, so a black band appears in place of the signature. Proofs are pasted onto blue album pages (unlike others in the archive, which are off-white).
Individual prints include the following:
No. 2: Dalziel after Joshua Reynolds, reproductive wood engraving of Reyolds's painting 'Shepherd Boy: The Young Shepherd' (c. 1771). Dated in pencil in the margin in Dalziel's hand, 'Jan[uar]y 13th / 48'. Heavily touched in pencil and white bodycolour. This is a highly textured tint or tonal engraving mimicking the mezzotints that were popular for Reynolds's paintings. For the painting, which is in a private collection, see David Mannings and Martin Postle, Sir Joshua Reyolds (New Haven and London: Yale, 2000), cat. no. 2157.
Nos. 7-14: a related group of art historical reproductions of mostly fifteenth-century works, for an untraced publication. The works are stylistically diverse, but have been engraved in a minimal linear style os wood engraving that (while different from the original paintings) is sympathetic to the time period of the original works. Including:
No. 8: After Pesellino, Execution of Saints Cosmas and Damian (1445), from an altarpiece for the Cappella Medicea del Noviziato in Santa Croce, Florence, by Pesellino and Fra Fillippo Lippi.
No. 11: After Sassetta, Saint Francis in Ecstasy (1437-44), for an altarpiece in Sansepolcro.
No. 12: After Albrecht Dürer, The Penance of Saint John Chrysostom (c. 1496)
No. 13: Unidentified illustration of St Martin of Tours.
No. 34: Dalziel after Joshua Reynolds, reproductive wood engraving of Reyolds's painting 'Lesbia'. Dated in pencil in the margin in Dalziel's hand, 'Mar 29'. Heavily touched in ink and white bodycolour. For the painting, owned by Tate, see David Mannings and Martin Postle, Sir Joshua Reyolds (New Haven and London: Yale, 2000), cat. no. 2102.
No. 40: Dalziel Brothers after Kenny Meadows. Three children stand around a bird cage that is perched on a high table. One of the girls is feeding the bird with her mouth.
Nos. 6, 52, 71, 160: George and Edward Dalziel after Kenny Meadows, John Tenniel, Frederick Pickersgill and Thomas Marshall, illustrations for John Milton, 'L'Allegro and Il Penseroso' (London: Art Union, 1848), nos. 12, 13, 17, 25. No. 6 appears at first glance to be an illlustration for Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', but in fact illustrates one of Milton's references to Shakespeare. As with many illustrations from the early years of the Dalziel firm, the published prints are signed individually by George or Edward Dalziel, although the signatures do not appear on these early proofs. The British Museum also has a copy of the published book (reg. no 2001,0729.33).
Nos. 54-61. Dalziel after Kenny Meadows. Illustrations for 'Home for the Holidays: A Pleasant Remembrance of my Early Days', by the editor of the Playmate (London: Cundall and Bogue, 1848). This book was sold at 2 shillings 6 pence, or 4 shillings with hand-coloured plates. No. 40 may be from the same series. The book includes several arresting representations of childhood, including children as theatre spectators, and a game of blind man's buff. There is a colour copy of the published book at the National Art Library at the Victoria and Albert Museum (L.5250-1961).
Nos. 149-59: Dalziel after Richard Doyle, series of Calendar months for unidentified publication; March is missing.
Nos. 174-183: illustrations for 'The Fire and Life Insurance Almanack' (London: Bogue, 1849). Includes illustrations of shipwrecks, fires, and railway crashes.
Nos. 187-203: Dalziel after Richard Doyle, illustrations for Anthony R Montalba, 'Fairy Tales from all Nations' (London: Chapman and Hall, 1849).
No. 600: Dalziel after Frederick Richard Pickersgill, wood-engraved reproduction of his painting 'Samson Betrayed' (1850) now in the Manchester Art Gallery's collection.
Nos. 800-805: Dalziel Brothers after Frederick Richard Pickersgill, 'The Life of Christ'. A series of six large wood engravings printed with a flat tint. Individual titles are: 'The Wise Men's Offering', 'Christ Blessing Little Children', 'The Woman Taken in Adultery', 'Mary Annointing the Feet of Our Saviour', 'Christ's Entry into Jerusalem' and 'The Entombment'. These impressions include letterpress captions. The Dalziels wrote about the series in their autobiography (1901, pp. 52-54), describing them as 'our attempt to produced high class art at what was then thought to be a nominal price'. They were priced at one shilling, and were a commercial failure.
Nos. 866-75: Dalziel Brothers after William Harvey. Illustrations to 'The Angels' Song' (writer and publication details not yet confirmed).
No. 903: Dalziel Brothers after George Cruikshank. An intriguing night-time street scene. To the right, a well-dressed man (in a top hat: possibly a policeman?) shines a torch in the face of a scruffy, miserable looking man who leans on a pillar to the left, his walking stick under his arm. The building in the background may be a church.
Nos. 1734-63: Dalziel Brothers after John Gilbert, illustrations to Longfellow's 'Poetical Works' (London: Routledge, 1852). This is presumably the early octavo edition of Longfellow, which is mentioned in the Dalziel 'Records' (1901, p. 30) as having inspired the commission of the more lavishly illustrated 1857 edition. The later edition was also designed by John Gilbert and engraved by the Dalziels, but the images were not recycled. Numerous works are illustrated in this early edition, including 'The Village Blacksmith', 'The Spanish Student' and 'Evangeline'.
- Producer name
-
Print made by: Dalziel Brothers (All)
-
After: Sir John Gilbert (Nos. 114, 118, 125-7, 163, 174, 221, 621-2, 829-31, 981-8, 1175, 1247-9, 1359, 1734-63. Most of these have Gilbert's signature or monograph. All were identified as his by Campbell Dodgson.)
-
After: George Cruikshank (Nos. 903, 1017, 1024, 1556-7. All with Cruikshank's monogram.)
-
After: Frederick Goodall (Nos. 19, 32, 70, 255 (all with signature or monogram))
-
After: William Harvey (Nos. 1 (?), 25, 33, 39, 44, 128, 258, 262, 866-75, 1811(?)-1828(?) (some with monogram, others attributed by Campbell Dodgson))
-
After: Frederick William Hulme (Nos. 478, 798, 828 (all with signature or monogram).)
-
After: John Leech (Nos. 228, 989 (with signature).)
-
After: Kenny Meadows (Nos. 6, 40, 41, 55-61, 63, 110, 248-9, 252-3 (signed with monogram and/or attributed by Campbell Dodgson or through publication research).)
-
After: Frederick Richard Pickersgill (Nos. 31, 71-2, 600, 800-805 (all with monogram or signature))
-
After: Edward Henry Wehnert (No. 227)
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After: Harrison William Weir (Nos. 827, 876, 1224-30 (with signature and/or attributed by Campbell Dodgson))
-
Published by: Routledge (Nos. 1734-63 (and probably additional items as well))
-
After: E Barwell (Nos. 1011-13 (with signature or monogram, and attributed by Campbell Dodgson))
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After: Hablot Knight Browne (Phiz) (No. 74 (with monogram))
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After: O R Campbell (Nos. 1722-1725 (with signature and/or attributed by Campbell Dodgson))
-
After: John Richard Clayton (Nos. 1201, 1662 (with monogram and/or attributed by Campbell Dodgson))
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After: Richard Doyle (Nos. 149-59, 187-203, 219, 223, 438-43, 457-71, 624, 832-65, 963-71, 1250-8 (with monogram or attributed by Campbell Dodgson or through publication research))
-
After: Myles Birket Foster (Nos. 543-7, 881, 883, 1789-90, 1792-7 (with monogram or attributed by Campbell Dodgson))
-
After: James Godwin (Nos. 884, 1660, 1764-82 (with signature and/or attributed by Campbell Dodgson))
-
After: Edward Killingworth Johnson (No. 319)
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After: Thomas Falcon Marshall (Nos. 160, 229-30, 245 (with signature or monogram, and/or attributed by Campbell Dodgson))
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After: Samuel Read (No. 1829)
-
After: M. Retzsch (Nos.1081-92, 1410-11, 1474 (signed with monogram and/or attributed by Campbell Dodgson))
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After: William Harry Rogers (Nos. 639-50, 1593, 1835 (signed with monogram and/or attributed by Campbell Dodgson))
-
After: Thomas Charles Leeson Rowbotham (Nos. 555-63, 1071 (with monogram or signature and attributed by Campbell Dodgson))
-
After: Sir George Scharf (Nos. 131-4, 139-148 (signed with monogram and/or attributed by Campbell Dodgson))
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After: Sir John Tenniel (Nos. 52, 1798-1810)
-
After: J T Thorne (Nos. 16, 45, 135, 213, 246, 393 (attributed by Campbell Dodgson))
- Dimensions
-
Height: 462 millimetres (size of bound album)
-
Thickness: 38 millimetres (size of bound album)
-
Width: 300 millimetres (size of bound album)
- Curator's comments
- Dalziel Archive. Catalogued for the Dalziel Project by Bethan Stevens (University of Sussex) in partnership with the British Museum and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC); digital photography by Sylph Editions, London (www.sylpheditions.com).
At the front of the volume is a handwritten list of artists linked to several of the prints. The handwriting has been identified as Campbell Dodgson's, after comparison with the bound volume 'Specimens of Handwriting', held in the British Museum Print Room. Where no comments are given after the names of producers, evidence is clear and has been verified (e.g. signed print, publication details, etc.). An overview of the album has been offered here, but it would be possible to identify more publications and artists on inspection and with further research.
For another impression of no. 160 in the album, after T. F. Marshall, see 1854,1211.418.17.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1913
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1913,0415.164
