Portraits

1824 · ST18708 — London: Robert Triphook 1824. FIRST EDITION. 233 x 143 mm. 9 1/8 x 5 3/4". 2 p.l. v 3 206 pp. 1 leaf ads. <br/> HANDSOME SCARLET MOROCCO BY RIVIERE & SON stamp-signed on front turn-in front cover WITH FIVE MINIATURE PORTRAITS OF SHAKESPEARE on ivory under glass ALMOST CERTAINLY BY MISS C. B. CURRIE surrounded by delicate gilt tooling rear cover and spine compartments framed by double gilt fillets raised bands gilt lettering to two compartments gilt-ruled turn-ins olive green silk endleaves top edge gilt other edges untrimmed. In a maroon fleece-lined slipcase. With five engraved plates reproducing portraits of Shakespeare. Jaggard pp. 586-87. Slight wear to silk endleaves at front hinge isolated small printing smudges or other trivial defects final leaf ads with short closed tear at head otherwise A VERY FINE COPY the text with no signs of use and the splendid binding in perfect condition.<br/> <br/> This analysis of portraits purporting to depict Shakespeare is the perfect vehicle for a Cosway binding used here to present the leading contenders on the front cover these likenesses also appear on engraved plates in the book. The portrait at the center of our cover is considered the most authoritative being that done by Martin Droeshout for the First Folio of 1623. The other portraits shown in the plates and in the miniatures are the Chandos Head the Stratford Bust the engraving by W. Marshall from the 1640 edition of the poems and the Jansen portrait of 1610. A Shakespeare scholar who raised the alarm about forgeries of Shakespeare manuscripts in the 1790s Boaden 1762-1839 sets forth here as indicated in the preface "a careful examination of the evidence" by which "the pretended portraits have been rejected and the genuine confirmed and established." The so-called "Cosway" binding with painted miniatures inlaid in handsome morocco--either inside or as here on the outside of the front cover--apparently originated with the London bookselling firm of Henry Sotheran about 1909. In that year G. C. Williamson's 1905 book entitled "Richard Cosway" which celebrated the career of this leading Georgian and Regency miniature painter was remaindered by Sotheran and presumably given this special decorative treatment in order to boost sales. The name "Cosway" then was used to describe any book so treated whatever its subject. The finest miniatures on Cosway bindings were executed by Caroline Billin Currie 1849-1940 who is known to have created such paintings for Sotheran's from 1910 until her death usually from designs by J. H. Stonehouse and typically for bindings executed as here by Riviere. Not present in this volume is an inserted leaf acknowledging Currie's work--something normally seen with Cosway bindings featuring her miniatures; but she has a distinctive deftness to her brush strokes and a recognizably refined execution that are clearly present here. The precision and detail of these portraits and the wonderfully expressive eyes are hallmarks of her work. Robert Triphook unknown