Prints on Display: Exhibitions of Etching and Engraving in England, 1770S-1858
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City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects 2-2018 Prints on Display: Exhibitions of Etching and Engraving in England, 1770s-1858 Nicole Simpson The Graduate Center, City University of New York How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/2501 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] PRINTS ON DISPLAY: EXHIBITIONS OF ETCHING AND ENGRAVING IN ENGLAND, 1770S-1858 by NICOLE SIMPSON A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Art History in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, The City University of New York 2018 © 2018 NICOLE SIMPSON All Rights Reserved ii Prints on Display: Exhibitions of Etching and Engraving in England, 1770s-1858 by Nicole Simpson This manuscript has been read and accepted for the Graduate Faculty in Art History in satisfaction of the dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Date Katherine Manthorne Chair of Examining Committee Date Rachel Kousser Executive Officer Supervisory Committee: Patricia Mainardi Diane Kelder Cynthia Roman THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK iii ABSTRACT Prints on Display: Exhibitions of Etching and Engraving in England, 1770s-1858 by Nicole Simpson Advisor: Katherine Manthorne During the long nineteenth century, in cities throughout Europe and North America, a new type of exhibition emerged – exhibitions devoted to prints. Although a vital part of print culture, transforming the marketing and display of prints and invigorating the discourse on the value and status of printmaking, these exhibitions have received little attention in existing scholarship. My dissertation aims to answer the question of when, where, and how did print exhibitions emerge during this period. It examines the initial development of these displays in England, home to the earliest print exhibitions and an innovative exhibition culture, from the 1770s to 1858. Through an analysis of specific exhibitions in four categories—commercial, independent, national, institutional—this dissertation reveals the motives of the publishers, artists, and organizations who mounted these exhibitions, outlines the wide variety of etchings and engravings displayed, from caricatures and book illustrations to reproductive prints and original etchings, and documents the audience and critical reception. These exhibitions were launched during a critical period for printmaking, when it was typically considered a secondary, minor art form and given little or unsatisfactory spaces in larger art exhibitions of paintings, sculpture, and drawings. By establishing a iv unique, dedicated space for the viewing of prints, this dissertation argues that exhibitions were developed as a critical tool to draw attention to prints, stimulate the market, and reposition prints as valuable art works. They mark a significant movement towards the professionalization of printmaking, which would be continued during the second half of the nineteenth century with the launch of the etching revival, and served to bring prints to an increasingly broad and engaged audience. v Acknowledgements This dissertation was made possible by my advisor, Katherine Manthorne. Her consistent, positive encouragement guided me throughout my writing and sustained me during this process. Patricia Mainardi inspired my return to graduate school and, in addition to many wonderful conversations over the years about our shared fondness for French nineteenth-century prints, she was an insightful reader of my dissertation and a source of great support. My committee members Diane Kelder and Cynthia Roman provided many thoughtful comments, helpful advice, and avenues for future development and I am deeply grateful for their participation. I benefitted greatly from discussing my dissertation with colleagues and through presenting portions of my work at conferences. I participated in the graduate seminar in 2014 “British Print Culture in a Transnational Context, 1700-2014,” led by Gillian Forrester and Stephen Bann at the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art. In 2015, I spoke about the print display at the Manchester Art Treasures exhibition at the Association for Art History conference for the session “British Art through its Exhibition Histories, 1760-Now,” convened by Martina Droth, Mark Hallett, and Sarah Victoria Turner. At the College Art Association conference in 2016, I presented on the exhibitions organized by William Bernard Cooke at “London: Capital of the Nineteenth Century,” organized by Timothy Barringer and Jason Rosenfeld. My work was greatly enriched by feedback from these generous participants and organizers. vi I could not have completed this dissertation without the camaraderie of my coworkers, past and present: Roberta Waddell, Elizabeth Wyckoff, and Margaret Glover at The New York Public Library; Rena Hoisington, Jay Fisher, Ann Shafer, and Joanna Karlgaard at The Baltimore Museum of Art; and Christine Giviskos at the Zimmerli Art Museum. My parents, Jane and Thomas Simpson, first encouraged my love of art. They have cheered me on every step of my academic pursuits and professional career and I dedicate this dissertation to them. vii Table of Contents Acknowledgments………………………………………………………………………..vi List of Figures ……………………………………………………………………………ix Introduction………………………………………………………………………………..1 Chapter One.……………………………………………………………………………..31 From Windows to Walls: Commercial Exhibitions of Prints in London, 1770s-1800 Chapter Two.………………………………………………………………….…………64 Protesting the Academy: Printmakers and the Organization of Independent Group Exhibitions Chapter Three…………………………………………………………………………...104 Presenting the History of Printmaking: The Gallery of Engravings at the Manchester Art Treasures Exhibition, 1857 Chapter Four………………………………………………………………………........141 Opening the Cabinet: Public Displays of Prints at the British Museum Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………...169 The Development of Print Exhibitions in England during the Second Half of the Nineteenth Century Appendix………………………………………………………………………………..192 Print Exhibitions in England, 1860-1900 Table 1………………………………………………………………………………….207 Artists and Prints Displayed in Cooke’s 1821 Exhibition Table 2………………………………………………………………………………….211 Artists and Prints Displayed in Cooke’s 1823 Exhibition Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………215 Figures………………………………………………………………………………….231 viii List of Figures (unless otherwise noted, all works are from the British Museum) 0.1. Robert and George Cruikshank, A Shilling Well Laid Out: Tom and Jerry at the Exhibition of Pictures at the Royal Academy, hand-colored etching and aquatint, 1821 0.2. After Thomas Rowlandson and Auguste Charles Pugin, British Institution, Pall Mall, hand-colored etching and aquatint, 1808, Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts 0.3. Thomas Rowlandson, Christie’s Auction Rooms, pen and ink and watercolor, ca. 1808 0.4. William Chambers, The Sculpture Collection of Charles Townley in the Entrance Hall of his House, pen and ink and watercolor, 1794 0.5. Unknown artist, Bullock’s Museum, hand-colored etching and engraving, 1815 0.6. Thomas Rowlandson, Exhibition at Bullocks Museum of Bonepartes Carriage Taken at Waterloo, hand-colored etching, 1816 0.7 J. Elwood, A Crowd Outside a Print Shop, pen and ink and watercolor, 1790 1.1 John Raphael Smith, A Lady Coming from a Circulating Library, hand-colored mezzotint, 1781 1.2 After John Raphael Smith, Beauty in Search of Knowledge, hand-colored mezzotint, 1782 1.3 Joseph Lisle, The Spectator, hand-colored etching and aquatint, 1828 1.4 John Raphael Smith, Spectators at a Print-Shop in St. Paul's Church Yard, hand- colored mezzotint, 1774 1.5 After Robert Dighton, A Real Scene in St Pauls Church Yard, on a Windy Day, hand-colored mezzotint, 1782-1784 1.6 Mary Darly, David Garrick in the Character of Abel Drugger, etching, ca. 1760- 1780 1.7 Mary Darly, illustration from A Book of Caricaturas, etching, 1762, Princeton University Library, Graphic Arts Collection 1.8 Unknown artist, Fruit Stall, etching, 1777 1.9 Edward Topham, The Macaroni Print Shop, hand-colored etching, 1772 1.10 Attributed to Francesco Bartolozzi, Ecce Homo, etching, 1775 1.11 James Gillray, Very Slippy-Weather, hand-colored etching, 1808 1.12 Richard Newton, William Holland’s Print Shop, watercolor, with pen and black ink, 1794 1.13 Richard Newton, Babes in the Nursery, hand-colored etching, 1794 1.14 Richard Newton, Promenade in the State Side of Newgate, etching, 1793 1.15 Richard Newton, Progress of an Irishman, hand-colored etching, 1794 1.16 Richard Earlom, after Michel Vincent Brandoin, The Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Painting, in the year 1771, mezzotint, 1772 1.17 Francis Wheatley, View of John Boydell’s Shakespeare Gallery, watercolor, 1790 Victoria & Albert Museum 1.18 George Woodward, The cock of the walk, distributing his favours, hand-colored etching, 1786 ix 1.19 John Bull guarding the toy-shop, -or Boney crying for some more play things, hand-colored etching, 1803 2.1 Titlepage from Exhibition of Engravings, by Living British Artists (London: J. Johnson, 1881), British Library 2.2 Valentine Green, after Peter Paul Rubens, Descent from the Cross, mezzotint, 1790, Fogg Museum, Harvard University 2.3 After Augustus Charles Pugin and