Houghton
The Houghton Revisited exhibition currently taking place at Houghton Hall in Norfolk provides the opportunity to see some of Robert Walpole's collection displayed in its original setting for the first time since Walpole's famous collection was sold to Catherine the Great of Russia in 1779.
Like several other famous collections, the paintings in the Houghton collection were engraved and published, in an ambitious project organized by the Georgian print world's 'Commercial Maecenas' John Boydell, with the result that even after the paintings had left for Russia, they continued to exert great influence on British artists and connoisseurs in engraved form. Here we show a selection of engravings from paintings in the Walpole collection:
This full-length portrait of Robert Walpole hung in his 'blue damask bed chamber', although like several of the prints in this list it is not part of the Houghton exhibition:
Sir Robert Walpole, afterwards Earl of Orford. Prime Minister to King George the First, & King George the Second. In the Blue Damask Bed Chamber at Houghton.
Vanloo pinxit. James Watson Sculpsit.
Published Jan.y 1.st 1788, by John & Josiah Boydell, No.90, Cheapside, London.
Mezzotint, very fine with small margins. Plate 502 x 349mm. 19¾ x 13¾".
NPG: D39367. Goodwin: 131. CS: 149.
[Ref: 27338] £480
The 'Common Parlour' is one of the most impressive rooms in the exhibition, and as well as paintings by Rembrandt, Hals and Velazquez it includes the paintings from which these four prints were made:
Kneller's 1697 portrait of John Locke (engraved before Walpole bought the painting)
John Locke Esq. In the Possession of the Rev.d Dr. William Geekie.
G. Kneller Eques. Pinxit 1697. G. Vertue Sculp. 1738.
Copper engraving. Plate 362 x 235mm. 14¼ x 9¼". Trimmed to the plate along side edges.
Illustration to Nicholas Tindal's "The Continuation of Mr Rapin's History of England". According to Alexander, subscription for the series was advertised by the publishers John and Paul Knapton in 1737. Most plates were engraved by Jacob Houbraken in Amsterdam, and the rest by Vertue.
Alexander: 787.
[Ref: 23383] £120.00 (£144.00 incl.VAT)
Grinling Gibbons, also by Kneller
Mr. Grinlin Gibbons.
G. Kneller pinx. I. Smith fe: & exc:
[1690].
Mezzotint. 270 x 350mm. 11¾ x 13¾". Trimmed. Cut to inside platemark; false magins added.
Grinling Gibbons (1648-1721), woodcarver and sculptor. His work can be seen at St. Paul's Cathedral, Hampton Court Palace and Blenheim Palace.
CS: 105. I of II.
[Ref: 26939] £160.00 (£192.00 incl.VAT)
and from the Boydell Houghton Gallery, a superb 1722 Flower Piece by Jan van Huysum
[A Flower Piece. In the Cabinet at Houghton.]
J. Van Huysum pinxi.t. Rich.d Earlom Sculp.st 1788.
John Boydell Excudit. Publish'd June 25 1788.
Mezzotint, scratch-letter proof before title, very fine with large margins. 540 x 415mm, 21¼ x 16¼".
Jan van Huysum (1682-1749) Dutch Old Master painter, called by his contemporaries 'the phoenix of all flower painters'.
[Ref: 24498] £950
and Jacob Jordaens' Self-portrait with Parents, Brothers and Sisters (c.1615), which in the 18th century was believed to show Rubens and his family:
[Jacob Jordaens and family.] Rubens and Family. In the Cabinet at Houghton.
Jacques Jordans Pinxit. G. Farrington delin.t. James Watson Sculpsit.
John Boydell excudit 1780. Published Mar: 25th 1780 by John Boydell Engraver in Cheapside, London.
Mezzotint. 560 x 400mm, 22 x 16". Tear in right margin repaired.
Despite the title this is not a portrait of Rubens, but a self-portrait of Jacob Jordaens with his parents, brothers & sisters, with a family servant. The three cherubs represent deceased children.
[Ref: 23877] £260
Hanging over a door in the marble parlour is the Still-life with Grapes by Michaelangelo del Campidoglio (1650s) from which this print derives. It is worth noting that very few engravings were made from still-life paintings, probably because of the low reputation that the genre had in the 18th century in comparison with history painting, or even landscape. The still-lifes by van Huysum and Campidoglio would probably not have been engraved, had they not belonged to such an illustrious collection. For that reason these prints are unusual, and important:
A Fruit Piece. In the Marble Parlour at Houghton - Size of Picture 3ft 0 3/4in. by 4ft 2 1/8in. in Length.
M. Angelo Campidoglio Pinxit. Joseph Farington Delin. Richd. Earlom Sculpsit.
Published Sept.r 30th 1776 by John Boydell Engraver in Cheapside London.
Mezzotint with large margins. Plate 310 x 350mm. 12¼" x 13¾". Faint vertical crease at center
[Ref: 26922] £450
The 'Carlo Maratta room' gives a rare chance to see a substantial collection of work by Maratta, who although little-known today was highly-regarded in his day, with a great number of engravings produced from his paintings. In Houghton Revisited we can see his Portrait of Pope Clement IX (1669):
Pope Clement The Ninth. From the Original Picture...In the Collection of his Grace the Duke of Devonshire, at Chiswick... Size of the Picture 3F,,4I by 4F,,2I in Height. No.35.
Carlo Maratti pinxit. John Hall sculpsit 1767.
Published by J. Boydell Engraver, in Cheapside, London; March 25th. 1767.
Engraving, 510 x 380mm. 20 x 15".
Portrait of Pope Clement IX (1600 – 1669), born Giulio Rospigliosi, was Pope from 1667 to 1669. After Carlo Maratti (1625 - 1713).
For proof impression see re. 27723
[Ref: 27372] £120.00 (£144.00 incl.VAT)
and in the final room of the exhibition, the saloon, Murillo' Immaculate Conception (c.1680) hangs above a door. The print of the painting was titled Assumption of the Virgin:
The Assumption of the Virgin
Valentine Green after Murillo
Published by Boydell, 1776
platemark 505 x 360mm
£140 + VAT
for more on Murillo click here
But impressive as the exhibition is, it is worth remembering that it represents only a fraction of Walpole's collection- these prints depict some of the paintings that didn't make it:
Moses striking the rock. In the Gallery at Houghton.
Nicolas Poussin pinxit. J.B. Michel Sculpsit.
Published Jan.y 1.st 1788 by John & Josiah Boydell, No 90 Cheapside, London.
Fine engraving with small margins, platemark 490 x 610mm (19¼ x 24").
[Ref: 28346] £290
Lions at Play. In the Gallery at Houghton.
Rubens, Pinxit. Will.m Walker, Sculpsit. John Boydell excudit, 1782.
Published June 1st 1782 by John Boydell, Engraver, in Cheapside London.
Engraving. 430 x 540mm.
[Ref: 5290] £320
[The exposition of Cyrus.]
Castiglione Pinxt. Earlom Sculpsit.
Publish'd Sep 1st. 1781 by John Boydell engraver in Cheapside London. [Houghton Gallery]
Fine impression, scratched with artists' names and publication line, centre crest. Framed mezzotint 370 x 285mm, 14½ x 11¼ inches.
[Ref: 15318] £420
The Sportsman. In the Gallery at Houghton.
Gaspar Poussin Pinxit. Joseph Farington delin.t John Browne Sculpsit.
Published Nov.r 1.st 1775 by John Boydell Engraver in Cheapside London.
Copper engraving with large margins, platemark 390 x 480mm (15¼ x 19"). Very fine impression, uncut.
[Ref: 28351] £360
It's good to see, descending the staircase to leave the exhibition, a selection of prints from the Houghton Gallery series, in recognition of the role the series played in spreading the renown and admiration of these pictures.
Like several other famous collections, the paintings in the Houghton collection were engraved and published, in an ambitious project organized by the Georgian print world's 'Commercial Maecenas' John Boydell, with the result that even after the paintings had left for Russia, they continued to exert great influence on British artists and connoisseurs in engraved form. Here we show a selection of engravings from paintings in the Walpole collection:
This full-length portrait of Robert Walpole hung in his 'blue damask bed chamber', although like several of the prints in this list it is not part of the Houghton exhibition:
Vanloo pinxit. James Watson Sculpsit.
Published Jan.y 1.st 1788, by John & Josiah Boydell, No.90, Cheapside, London.
Mezzotint, very fine with small margins. Plate 502 x 349mm. 19¾ x 13¾".
NPG: D39367. Goodwin: 131. CS: 149.
[Ref: 27338] £480
The 'Common Parlour' is one of the most impressive rooms in the exhibition, and as well as paintings by Rembrandt, Hals and Velazquez it includes the paintings from which these four prints were made:
Kneller's 1697 portrait of John Locke (engraved before Walpole bought the painting)
G. Kneller Eques. Pinxit 1697. G. Vertue Sculp. 1738.
Copper engraving. Plate 362 x 235mm. 14¼ x 9¼". Trimmed to the plate along side edges.
Illustration to Nicholas Tindal's "The Continuation of Mr Rapin's History of England". According to Alexander, subscription for the series was advertised by the publishers John and Paul Knapton in 1737. Most plates were engraved by Jacob Houbraken in Amsterdam, and the rest by Vertue.
Alexander: 787.
[Ref: 23383] £120.00 (£144.00 incl.VAT)
Grinling Gibbons, also by Kneller
G. Kneller pinx. I. Smith fe: & exc:
[1690].
Mezzotint. 270 x 350mm. 11¾ x 13¾". Trimmed. Cut to inside platemark; false magins added.
Grinling Gibbons (1648-1721), woodcarver and sculptor. His work can be seen at St. Paul's Cathedral, Hampton Court Palace and Blenheim Palace.
CS: 105. I of II.
[Ref: 26939] £160.00 (£192.00 incl.VAT)
and from the Boydell Houghton Gallery, a superb 1722 Flower Piece by Jan van Huysum
J. Van Huysum pinxi.t. Rich.d Earlom Sculp.st 1788.
John Boydell Excudit. Publish'd June 25 1788.
Mezzotint, scratch-letter proof before title, very fine with large margins. 540 x 415mm, 21¼ x 16¼".
Jan van Huysum (1682-1749) Dutch Old Master painter, called by his contemporaries 'the phoenix of all flower painters'.
[Ref: 24498] £950
and Jacob Jordaens' Self-portrait with Parents, Brothers and Sisters (c.1615), which in the 18th century was believed to show Rubens and his family:
Jacques Jordans Pinxit. G. Farrington delin.t. James Watson Sculpsit.
John Boydell excudit 1780. Published Mar: 25th 1780 by John Boydell Engraver in Cheapside, London.
Mezzotint. 560 x 400mm, 22 x 16". Tear in right margin repaired.
Despite the title this is not a portrait of Rubens, but a self-portrait of Jacob Jordaens with his parents, brothers & sisters, with a family servant. The three cherubs represent deceased children.
[Ref: 23877] £260
Hanging over a door in the marble parlour is the Still-life with Grapes by Michaelangelo del Campidoglio (1650s) from which this print derives. It is worth noting that very few engravings were made from still-life paintings, probably because of the low reputation that the genre had in the 18th century in comparison with history painting, or even landscape. The still-lifes by van Huysum and Campidoglio would probably not have been engraved, had they not belonged to such an illustrious collection. For that reason these prints are unusual, and important:
M. Angelo Campidoglio Pinxit. Joseph Farington Delin. Richd. Earlom Sculpsit.
Published Sept.r 30th 1776 by John Boydell Engraver in Cheapside London.
Mezzotint with large margins. Plate 310 x 350mm. 12¼" x 13¾". Faint vertical crease at center
[Ref: 26922] £450
The 'Carlo Maratta room' gives a rare chance to see a substantial collection of work by Maratta, who although little-known today was highly-regarded in his day, with a great number of engravings produced from his paintings. In Houghton Revisited we can see his Portrait of Pope Clement IX (1669):
Carlo Maratti pinxit. John Hall sculpsit 1767.
Published by J. Boydell Engraver, in Cheapside, London; March 25th. 1767.
Engraving, 510 x 380mm. 20 x 15".
Portrait of Pope Clement IX (1600 – 1669), born Giulio Rospigliosi, was Pope from 1667 to 1669. After Carlo Maratti (1625 - 1713).
For proof impression see re. 27723
[Ref: 27372] £120.00 (£144.00 incl.VAT)
and in the final room of the exhibition, the saloon, Murillo' Immaculate Conception (c.1680) hangs above a door. The print of the painting was titled Assumption of the Virgin:
The Assumption of the Virgin
Valentine Green after Murillo
Published by Boydell, 1776
platemark 505 x 360mm
£140 + VAT
for more on Murillo click here
But impressive as the exhibition is, it is worth remembering that it represents only a fraction of Walpole's collection- these prints depict some of the paintings that didn't make it:
Nicolas Poussin pinxit. J.B. Michel Sculpsit.
Published Jan.y 1.st 1788 by John & Josiah Boydell, No 90 Cheapside, London.
Fine engraving with small margins, platemark 490 x 610mm (19¼ x 24").
[Ref: 28346] £290
Rubens, Pinxit. Will.m Walker, Sculpsit. John Boydell excudit, 1782.
Published June 1st 1782 by John Boydell, Engraver, in Cheapside London.
Engraving. 430 x 540mm.
[Ref: 5290] £320
Castiglione Pinxt. Earlom Sculpsit.
Publish'd Sep 1st. 1781 by John Boydell engraver in Cheapside London. [Houghton Gallery]
Fine impression, scratched with artists' names and publication line, centre crest. Framed mezzotint 370 x 285mm, 14½ x 11¼ inches.
[Ref: 15318] £420
Gaspar Poussin Pinxit. Joseph Farington delin.t John Browne Sculpsit.
Published Nov.r 1.st 1775 by John Boydell Engraver in Cheapside London.
Copper engraving with large margins, platemark 390 x 480mm (15¼ x 19"). Very fine impression, uncut.
[Ref: 28351] £360
It's good to see, descending the staircase to leave the exhibition, a selection of prints from the Houghton Gallery series, in recognition of the role the series played in spreading the renown and admiration of these pictures.
