Frankau, Julia: Eighteenth century colour prints: an essay on certain stipple engravers and their work in colour (London , New York: Macmillan, 1900)

88 Eighteenth-Century Colour-Prints
Park,” after Dayes, published in 1793, a proof from which easily fetches ^50 to-day.
The pair to it is engraved by Soiron, and entitled “ The Promenade in St. James’s Park.”
Beyond “ An Airing in Hyde Park ” and small children-subjects after Hamilton (four of
which I have included here), perhaps the two prints of “Louisa,” after Morland, are now
amongst the most sought after of his work. They illustrate “ The Tale of Louisa” in the
poems and essays by Miss Bowdler of Bath. Among my own favourites, however, is the
small oval, “ Childish Impatience,” after Cosway, printed in two colours, and the two
circular prints “ Youth ” and “ Childhood,” after Prince Hoare ; “ Lady Catherine Manners,
daughter of the Duke of Rutland,” after Sir Joshua Reynolds ; and “ The Lass of
Levingstone,” and “How Sweet’s the Love that meets Return” (a pair of ovals after
Morland, illustrating a song of Allan Ramsay’s). The latter of these prints, in the first
state, was called “Jenny and Roger.” At the sale before alluded to, the plates with 22
proofs, 102 prints, 31 in colours of the first ; 22 proofs, 113 prints, and 33 in colours of
the second, fetched nineteen guineas, whilst the original drawing was sold for two guineas.
“ Courtship ” and “ Matrimony,” companion prints from designs by Milbourne ; “ Rural
Music,” “ Rural Contemplation,” after Westall, and “ The Sheltered Lamb,” after Hamilton,
have had their admirers. Other well-known stipple-engravings by Gaugain are the set
of ten after Northcote, executed by him in conjunction with Hellyer, entitled “ Diligence
and Dissipation,” “ A Girl returning from Milking,” after Westall ; “ The Showman,”
“ The Bird Catcher,” and “ The Kite Compleated,” after Barney ; “ An old Woman
opening a Gate,” “ A Lady with her Children in the Garden,” from his own designs;
“ Boy Mending Net,” after Westall ; “ An English Fruit Girl,” and “ An English Milk
Girl,” after Northcote ; and “ Cakes,” and “ Finery,” after Artaud. Two interest-
ing prints in Gaugain’s earliest manner, that is to say a mixture of aquatint and
stipple, are “ Diana and her Nymphs ” and “ The Shepherdess of the Alps.” Two of his
best known plates after Bigg had a large sale and were very popular. They are the
“ Shipwrecked Sailor Boy ” and “ The Sailor Boy’s Return.” “ A Birthday Present to Old
Nurse ” and “ Health and Sickness ” still command prices far in excess of their merits.
Plates XXL and XXII. Summer’s Amusement; Winter’s Amusement.—These and the
two following plates have a varied history. Gaugain published them first in 1789, from
9 Manor Street, Chelsea. The proofs were monochrome without titles ; in the second
state they have the title added ; in the third state they are printed in colours and the
plate has been strengthened with the graver. At Gaugain’s sale they were purchased in
this state by Messrs. Harris, who issued them, as far as I can ascertain, with the same line
of publication. Molteno bought them from Messrs. Harris, and at Molteno’s sale in
1819, 20 pairs prints, 18 proofs, and 17 pairs in colour, sold for :8s. The
presumption is that by this time their popularity had had the usual effect and the
impressions were poor and worn. The last issue is published by “ Molteno, Colnaghi
& Co. & Wilkinson, London.” I have referred to Messrs. Colnaghi, who have no
information as to what became of the plates. They were re-engraved in reverse, and I
have seen yet another set with “ Bartoli ” as engraver, but no line of publication. I believe
there are also some modern chromo-photogravure reproductions.
Plates XXIII. and XXIV. How Smooth Brother, Feel Again ; The Castle in
Danger.—This pair also has had many vicissitudes. The first state is without title or