Skip to content

An essay upon prints; containing remarks upon the principles of picturesque beauty, the different kinds of prints, and the characters of the most noted masters; Illustrated by Criticisms upon particular Pieces; To which are added, Some Cautions that may be useful in collecting Prints

An essay upon prints; containing remarks upon the principles of picturesque beauty, the different kinds of prints, and the characters of the most noted masters; Illustrated by Criticisms upon particular Pieces; To which are added, Some Cautions that may be useful in collecting Prints

Click for full-size.

An essay upon prints; containing remarks upon the principles of picturesque beauty, the different kinds of prints, and the characters of the most noted masters; Illustrated by Criticisms upon particular Pieces; To which are added, Some Cautions that may be useful in collecting Prints

by GILPIN, William (1724-1804)

  • Used
  • Fine
  • first
Condition
Fine
Seller
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States
Item Price
$665.00
Or just $645.00 with a
Bibliophiles Club Membership
$5.00 Shipping to USA
Standard delivery: 4 to 8 days

More Shipping Options

Payment Methods Accepted

  • Visa
  • Mastercard
  • American Express
  • Discover
  • PayPal

About This Item

London: printed for J. Robson, Bookseller to the Princess Dowager of Wales, at the Feathers, in New Bond Street, 1768. First Edition. Paper-Covered Boards. Fine. First Edition of the first standard guide on print collecting in England. Crown 8vo (171 x 102mm): [2],iv,4,[2],249,[13]pp (pp. 44-45 and 81-96 misnumbered 45-46 and 77-92, respectively; this copy, as most, wanting the 17 plates). Rebound to style by Fitterer in marbled paper-covered boards, printed paper labels on spine and upper cover—a splendid presentation. Copper-engraved book plate of Rev. W[illiam]. T[homas]. Bree (1786-1863), vicar of All Saints' church in Allesley, reaffixed to front paste-down. An excellent copy, tightly bound and clean throughout. Barbier, pp. 24-27. Lowndes II 895. Published anonymously (Gilpin's authorship was only revealed with the third edition, in 1781), reaching a fifth edition in 1802. On the continent this essay's influence spread through German, French, and Dutch translations. Gilpin's "aim, as the title-page indicates, was to outline ‘the Principles of picturesque Beauty, the Different Kinds of Prints, and the Characters of the most noted Masters'. . . . The Essay defines ‘picturesque' as ‘a term expressive of that peculiar kind of beauty, which is agreeable in a picture' (Essay on Prints, 2), but does not develop the definition." (ODNB) Among prints singled out for detailed consideration are Salvator Rosa's "Death of Polycrates," Waterloo's "Tobias," and Hogarth's "Rake's Progress." N. B. With few exceptions (always identified), we only stock books in exceptional condition, carefully preserved in archival, removable polypropylene sleeves. All orders are packaged with care and posted promptly. Satisfaction guaranteed.

Reviews

(Log in or Create an Account first!)

You’re rating the book as a work, not the seller or the specific copy you purchased!

Details

Bookseller
Fine Editions Ltd US (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #
BB0853
Title
An essay upon prints; containing remarks upon the principles of picturesque beauty, the different kinds of prints, and the characters of the most noted masters; Illustrated by Criticisms upon particular Pieces; To which are added, Some Cautions that may be useful in collecting Prints
Author
GILPIN, William (1724-1804)
Format/Binding
Paper-Covered Boards
Book Condition
Used - Fine
Quantity Available
1
Edition
First Edition
Publisher
printed for J. Robson, Bookseller to the Princess Dowager of Wales, at the Feathers, in New Bond Street
Place of Publication
London
Date Published
1768
Keywords
Engraving—Early works to 1800. Engravers—Early works to 1800.
Bookseller catalogs
HAND-PRESS PERIOD;

Terms of Sale

Fine Editions Ltd

We guarantee the condition of every book as it's described on the Biblio web sites. If you're dissatisfied with your purchase (Incorrect Book/Not as Described/Damaged) or if the order hasn't arrived, you're eligible for a refund within 30 days of the estimated delivery date. If you have any questions, please contact us and we'll respond within 2 business days.

About the Seller

Fine Editions Ltd

Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Biblio member since 2005
Lancaster, Pennsylvania

About Fine Editions Ltd

Fine Editions specializes in First Editions of English and American Literature, Landmarks In Science and the History Of Ideas, Natural History and Color-Plate books, Travel and Voyages, and books on Gardening and Landscape Design. Our hallmark is condition: with few exceptions (mostly relating to our antiquarian stock), all books sold are in Near Fine or better conditions and all are highly collectible.

Glossary

Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:

Rebound
A book in which the pages have been bound into a covering replacing the original covering issued by the publisher.
Fine
A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
New
A new book is a book previously not circulated to a buyer. Although a new book is typically free of any faults or defects, "new"...
Plate
Full page illustration or photograph. Plates are printed separately from the text of the book, and bound in at production. I.e.,...
Paste-down
The paste-down is the portion of the endpaper that is glued to the inner boards of a hardback book. The paste-down forms an...
First Edition
In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
Spine
The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....

Frequently asked questions

This Book’s Categories

tracking-