Account of pictures, chiefly original portraits, extant about AD 1769.

Great Britain, 1769.

1 v. ([1], 34, [1] leaves) ; 17 cm.

English

A manuscript catalog of pictures, chiefly portraits, in various private collections in England. Arranged by location. Originally attributed to Horace Walpole (although according to a letter dated 19 September 1973 from Wilmarth Lewis of the Lewis Walpole Library, it is not in Walpole's hand). The text is in black ink with the attributions of the individual paintings underscored in red ink. Leaves written on rectos only. Includes the author's observations on the condition and artistic merit of the works described; of the Van Dyck portrait of the Earl of Strafford at Blenheim Palace we are told "Ld Rockingham's pict. better", and Verrio's great staircase at Hampton Court is described as "very bad". Some entries also record details of date, value and provenance. Works by Van Dyck, Rubens and Holbein predominate among works by other artists. The content is not restricted to paintings, but also includes statues, funeral monuments and stained glass, as well as architectural features such as the Grinling Gibbons carvings at Burleigh, Windsor and Petworth. The author seems to have had a particular interest in Gibbons, as the final unfoliated leaf bears a list of his works. Some entries record the architect of an entire building; for example The Grange in Hampshire is described as "one of ye best works of In. Jones", and in the entry for Easton "ye house designed & built by Sir Jn. Vanbrugh".

December 20, 2006

Account of pictures, chiefly original portraits, extant about AD 1769. Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection.

Account of pictures, chiefly original portraits, extant about AD 1769. Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection.