The Christopher Lennox-Boyd Collection!

 

Christopher Lennox-Boyd who died in 2012 aged 71 stood in the great tradition of great eccentric English antiquarian scholars and formed the finest collection of British Mezzotints in private hands.

Christopher Lennox-Boyd was a most unusual collector. Much more than either the excitement of the chase or the satisfaction of ownership, it is the acquisition of information and knowledge that motivated him. He undoubtedly possessed the best impression of many a famous print, but much dearer to him, was a battered proof or intermediate state which provided him with data, as he called it, which was previously unrecorded.

He was like an untypical lepidopterist, one who does not have to pin down his specimens, each with its label, in display cases and glass topped drawers. The label itself is what ultimately mattered to Christopher, once catalogued his captures may fly where they will.

Mezzotint engravings provide a perfect field for collecting. The standard reference work, by John Chaloner Smith, was published as long ago as 1878. There is a great deal to discover and add to his pioneering research.

His main interest in the early days was drawings, both English watercolours and Modern British examples, and he was instrumental in the revival of the market reputation of Albert Goodwin and others. These led naturally to the Modern History etchers, and gradually to older prints and mezzotints. The first mezzotint that he acquired was one of Reynolds' Duchesses, acquired from Christopher Mendez for £10, a fine example would be worth £400 to £600, so they're still reasonable.

This was the first of perhaps 50,000 prints which filled his London flat and many other storerooms in the country.

Mezzotint engraving is a process unlike others, in that the artist works from black ground to white highlights, by roughening the whole plate to hold ink, and then burnishing and smoothing to produce the composition.  Subtleties of shade and richness of tone are far more important than outline.  Copper plates tended to wear out more quickly than in other processes, leading to fewer impressions.  It was invented in the mid-17th century by Ludwig von Siegen, who passed the technique to Prince Rupert of the Rhine, the first great practitioner.  It was particularly popular in Britain during the late 17th and 18th centuries and again in the early 20th.  Good mezzotints have a depth and luminosity beyond any other print techniques - which makes them particularly powerful when displayed in modern settings.

Asked for his favourite engraver, Christopher was unhesitating: James MacArdell - he achieves things the others can't.  And he made great efforts to maintain the quality of his plates".  It is perhaps no coincidence that MacArdell (c.1729-1765) was one of the greatest interpreters of Reynolds and that Christopher's first love for his Duchess soon resulted in a Catalogue of Mezzotints after Reynolds.

Both as a dealer and an academic collector Christopher saw his task as "to get prints and information to the right people".

We have recently purchased the remainder of over 10,000 mezzotints from the collection. They have been in store for nearly 20 years.

If you have any long or short-term requests, please do contact us.