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

Eighteenth-Century Colour-Prints i2 1

to those after his own designs, “ Beauty governed by Prudence, crowned by Virtuous

Love,” after A. Kauffmann ; and “ Love ” and “ Friendship,” after Cosway.
Reading (Burnet), who worked about 1770-1820, was a Colchester man, and enjoyed
the unique position of being at once riding and drawing master to Lord Pomfret. He
was a friend of the elder Angelo, and was not too old to join Harry Angelo in the

Wargrave orgies.
“ Charlotte at the

His stipple-prints
Tomb of Werter,

include “ Lavinia and her Mother,” after Bigg ;
from his own design ; and a large number of

contemporary portraits, both after Falconet and from his own drawing and engraving
Amongst the best known are those of “ Jeremiah Meyer,” miniature painter to George Ilf
the ubiquitous DavidGarnck, “Ozias Humphrey, R.A.,” “ George Stubbs,” 4rancis
Hayman and Paul Sandby. He was never a first-class engraver, but there is a certain
quahty about his portraits that lifts them out of the sphere of ordinary criticism Th "
are amateurish, unimportant, but generally intelligent and characteristic ?

Ryder (Thomas), 1746-1810, is one of the stipple-engravers for whose exclusion
from the illustrations I have absolutely no legitimate excuse, unless it be legitimate to
admit that I had no suitable example in my own portfolio, and was equally unfortunate in
searching amongst those of my friends. Yet Ryder was a most excellent stipple-engraver,
and employed the colour-printer almost invariably. He engraved eight large plates for
the Boydell Shakespeare Gallery, and they are amongst the best of that poor lot. “ The
Murder of James L, King of Scotland,” after Opie, is one of the worst of his engravings
printed in colour ; “ The Hours Crowning Virtuous Love,” a miniature after Cosway, is
one of the best. In fine condition, it is a perfect little gem, and shows everything the
united arts are capable of producing : the children’s heads in this print are supposed to be
portraits of Colonel Braddyl’s family. He also engraved many of Bunbury’s ill-drawn,
well-conceived designs. Illustrations of “Charlotte and Werter,” after C. R. Ryley ;
<< The Last Supper,” after West ; “ Prudence and Beauty,” “ Penelope taking down the
Bow of Ulysses,” after Kauffmann; “ Lady Pembroke,” after Hogarth; “ A Boy of
Glamorganshire,” “ A Girl of Carmarthenshire,” and “ Miss Linley,” after Westall, show
how well he varied his style to suit his subjects. He associated himself with Cosse in
<< The Genius of Modesty preventing Love unveiling Beauty,” after Cipriani, and this
proves an exception to the rule “ V union fait la force ” ; it is a weak and unimaginative
piece of work, reflecting credit on none of the three artists concerned in its production.
The “ Visit to the Woman of the Lime Trees,” after Ramberg ; “ The Captive,” after

“ The Young
Circassian,” after Peters ; a large number of Russian portraits, and “ Justice,” “ Prudence,”
u Fortitude,” and “ Temperance,” published as “ The Four Virtues.” They are none

Wright; and “Scenes from the Arabian Nights,- after Bunbury, might also be added to
the long list of stipple-prints by Ryder.
ScoRODooMorr (Gabriel), 1748-1792, was a young Russian draughtsman who came over
to England to learn engraving in Bartolozzi’s famous school. Bryan says he was the first
Russian who obtained a reputation as an engraver, but it was chiefly in the reflected Imht
of his master that he seems to have shone. As was the case with all Bartolozzi’s pupils
colour was largely employed in the issues of his engravings. His principal plates include’
“ The parting of Romeo and Juliet,” after West, and a suite of six pieces for the Bovdells
after Angelica Kauffmann—these are circular prints, neo-classic in design • - ”
Z-. _ M C)

R