Cumberland, Westmoreland, and Lancashire Illustrated, in a series of forty-four engravings, exhibiting the scenery of the Lakes, antiquities, and other picturesque objects by FIELDING, Theodore Henry (1781-1851) - 1822

London: Printed for Thomas M'Lean by Howlett and Brimmer, 1822. Folio. (16 x 11 inches). Half-title. 44 fine hand-coloured aquatint plates by and after Fielding. Later red half morocco gilt by Riviere & Son, spine in seven compartments with raised bands, lettered in the second and fourth compartments, the others with elaborate overall repeat decoration centering on a stylized vase of flowers, encircled by stars and other small tools with stylized foliage corner-pieces, marbled endpapers, t.e.g. A very fine deluxe, large paper copy of one of the greatest early-19th century celebrations of the beauties of the Lake District and one of the most beautifully coloured English aquatint books of the 19th century. The vogue for the picturesque had first been stimulated in Britain in the late 18th century. The writer William Gilpin was amongst the first to point out to the English that it was unnecessary to venture abroad to encounter spectacular landscape and scenery. Coleridge and Wordsworth, the Lake poets, narrowed the search still further by extolling the superior beauty of the area of north-west of the north of England known as the Lake District. "The beautiful Scenery of the Lakes becoming every year more the object of attraction and admiration - and its delightful views and salubrious air having effected a change in the taste which preferred Continental pleasures to those of our own Country, the Publisher has been induced to present this volume as illustrative of the interesting views with which the Tourist will be gratified" (Address). As with many English colour plate books from the period, the large paper copies are far more finely produced than their regular counterparts. Besides the larger margins, the hand colouring of the large paper issue is vastly superior. The colouring of the large paper issue is luminescent, with rich golden hues not found in the regular edition, making this issue not only one of the great works on the scenery of the region but also an important example of colour plate book production at the zenith of the colour aquatint. Abbey, Scenery 194; Prideaux p.335; Tooley (1954) 215; Bobins, The Exotic and the Beautiful 645.