Lewis's Sketches of Spain & Spanish Character, made during his Tour in that Country, in the years 1833-4. Drawn on Stone from his original Sketches entirely by himself.
London.: Published by F.G. Moon, Printseller to the King, 20, Threadneedle Street, and John Lewis, 78, Wimpole Street. - Printed at C. Hullmandel's Lithographic Establishment, 49, Gt. Marlborough Street., (1836.)
Physical Description
T.pl., engr. dedic. and 'List of Subjects', [25] pl. (incl. frontis.); 550 mm.
General Note
The plates carry no numbers, but are numbered 1-25 in the 'List of Subjects' (pl. 1 being the frontis.).
Contents
[Frontis. (= pl. 1), t.pl., engr. dedic. and 'List of Subjects'] - [Plates (2-25)].
Responsibility Note
Almost all plates are signed within the plate by J. F. Lewis (or 'J. F. L.').
Several carry the imprint of the publisher, F. G. Moon, and the date (May 2nd 1836).
The work is dedicated by the author to David Wilkie Esqr. RA.
References
Travel in Aquatint and Lithography 1770-1860 from the Library of J. R. Abbey ... A bibliographical catalogue, volume I (1956, repr. 1972, 1991), no. 149, p. 129; R.V. Tooley, English Books with Coloured Plates 1790-1860: A bibliographical account (1954; repr. 1987), no. 302, p.249.
M. Lewis, John Frederick Lewis R.A. (1978); B. Ford, 'J. F. Lewis and Richard Ford in Seville 1832-33', in Burlington Magazine, 80 (1942), p.124-9. On Hullmandel see M. Twyman, 'Charles Joseph Hullmandel: lithographic printer extraordinary', in Lasting impressions, ed. P. Gilmour (1988), p.42-90, 362-7; M. Twyman, Lithography 1800-1850 (1970). On F. G. Moon see A. Dyson, Pictures to print: the nineteenth-century engraving trade (1984); and C. Fox, 'Mr. Moon the printseller of Threadneedle Street', in Collectanea Londinensia, ed. J. Bird (1978), p.401-14.
Summary Note
No publication-date is given on the title-plate, but some plates carry the publication-date of May 2nd 1836. According to the advertisement tipped-in between the front endpapers of the Royal Academy's copy, as well as being published in Imperial Folio (at £4. 4s.) copies were also available 'Coloured and Mounted ... in a Portfolio' (at £10. 10s).
The plates are captioned within the plate and in the 'List of Subjects'. They show country people, smugglers, bullfighters, friars or buildings (churches, convents, squares, arenas, a posada) - most in Andalucia (Granada, Seville, Sierra Nevada, Ronda, Gibraltar) but four in other places (Madrid, Toledo, Segovia). The title-plate vignette shows an arena after a bull-fight.
The List of Subjects gives also the names of the then owners of the original sketches.
Following his Spanish tour Lewis not only published this book of lithographs and Lewis's Sketches and Drawings of the Alhambra (1835) but also exhibited between 1833 and 1838 many watercolours of Spain at the Royal Academy and at the Old Watercolour Society.
Immediate source of Acquisition
Presented by, the author in , 1867 (see 'Librarian's Report', RA Annual Report for 1867, p. 27).
Provenance
The front loose endpaper is inscribed in ink, 'J.F. Lewis'.
Copy Note
Between the front endpapers is tipped in a four-page advertisement for this work.
Binding Note
19th-century quarter red morocco, red watered-cloth-covered boards; spine lettered 'Lewis's Spanish Sketches'.
Spaniards - Landscapes (environments) - Rural areas - Urban areas - Spain - Andalucia - History - 19th century
Drawings - Landscapes (representations) - Cityscapes (visual works) - 19th century
Views - Travel sketches - Great Britain - 19th century
Pictorial works - Lithographs - Great Britain - 19th century