The  Animals  nearest  to  us

(Howitt, Samuel.) Howitt’s miscellaneous Etchings, old & new. New Edition. Etched title and

50  etchings

(c. 9-15 x 15.5-22 cm). (London,) Edw. Orme, 1812. 4to. Old cloth with back-plate and mounted title plate. Uncut.

Thieme-Becker XVII, 588 f. (erroneously with an William H. as etcher). – Compare with Mellon, Prints, 11 + Graesse III, 380 (both the edition of 1803). – Not in Schwerdt. – With the figurative exlibris of Dr. Roederstein. – On strong paper of 1822 watermarked I I S & S, the overlay leaves, irregularly bound with, watermarked 1828. – Binding more timemarked, upper inner book partially broken. Title and a total of 8 plates with weak waterstreak partially reaching into one of the image corners though visible almost only in the mostly wide white (plate) margins. First and last plates with minimal touch of foxing, only title and frontispiece a bit more. Otherwise of fine freshness.

Showing in prevailing landscape, but also domestic or farming scenery besides cattle (9 + 3 together with sheep) , sheep (4 + 3 together with cattle) , pigs and chicken

Inscribed throughout: “Howitt”, partly with the additions “in. et f.” and Howitt’s and H. Brookes’ address resp. and dates of 1792 (4), 1797 (2) + 1801 (12). – In the Mellon Collection a comparable compilation of 49 sheets from several suites with dates 1792-1803. The edition of 1812 here obviously reprinted on occasion of Howitt’s death.

Samuel  Howitt  (1765 – London 1822) was “as practicing sportsman … superior in the natural depiction of hunting and sporting scenes … As etcher Howitt has an extraordinary pure and fine needle. He has … publicated numerous works with engravings and etchings after own designs” (Thieme-Becker, their erroneous repetition of Heller-Andresen’s assignment of this publication to a William Howitt – not known to Nagler – who also died in 1822 defeated by inscription + address). – The album here thus exemplary for

Offer no. 12,227 / EUR  1432. / export price EUR  1360. (c. US$ 1761.) + shipping

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The  Cream  of  the  Day