Antique Aquatint Engraving of Shakespeare Gallery c. 1793 by Farington, pub. Boydell, Ex- Thomas Agnew w Verso

Thomas Agnew is one of the great names in the fine art and antiques world; this particular aquatint, which bears the illustrious firm’s verso on its back, is a lovely example of Old World charm with a Shakespearan connexion.

This particular aquatint bears the caption “J Farington R.A. del. June 1, 1793 period by J & J Boydell. View in Broad-Street in Oxford. Shakespeare Gallery, Pall Mall and Cheapside. JC Stadler, sculpt..”

The Boydell Shakespeare Gallery in London, England was a project undertaken by engraver and publisher John Boydell to foster a genre of British history painting. The project was intended to culminate in the establishment of this gallery building as well as a folio of Shakespeare’s plays, as well as a folio of prints by then-contemporary British painters. During the 1790s, the London gallery built to showcase these original paintings became the project’s most popular element, with weekly updates in the press. However, the long delay in publishing the prints led to the project ultimately foundering.

The building ultimately became the headquarters of the British Institution, a seminal part of the London art scene, until it disbanded in 1867 and the building consequently demolished.

However, this part of English art history lives on in editions of the Boydell folio as well as engravings such as this particular piece.

Price marked at $440 AUD

Framed Measurements: 38 by 48cm.

Aquatint in excellent antique condition with light wear overall as pictured. Colours good, mild fade to sky but details overall crisp. Some wear and paint traces to frame. Agnew verso intact, legible and in excellent condition on back.