Donald Heald Original Antique Books Prints and Maps


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	BENNETT, William James (1784-1844) after J. ISABEY Monsr. J. Isabey's Exhibition Rooms, 61 Pall Mall / Salle d'Exhibition de J. Isabey, a Londres Published by J. Isabey, June, 1820. Colour-printed aquatint. Printed on wove Whatman paper watermarked 1820. In excellent condition. Image size: 7 ¼ x 9 7/8 inches. Plate mark: 8 ¼ x 10 7/8 inches. Sheet size: 13 x 18 ¾ inches. A fascinating view of J. Isabey's picture gallery in Pall Mall, London, by the celebrated American engraver William James Bennett. William James Bennett was born in England, and received his artistic training at the celebrated Royal Academy. He garnered a reputation as an accomplished watercolourist and exhibited many fine landscapes at the Academy's annual exhibitions. Bennett was one of the principle members of the Society of Painters in Watercolours and helped establish watercolour as a prominent medium in England. He displayed an exceptional talent at aquatint and during his career produced many fine prints for some the most lavish English plate books. He emigrated to the United States in 1826, and is best known for his views of American cities, including the Hudson Valley Region, Niagara Falls, and numerous port cities such as New York, Charleston, and Buffalo. Bennett's series of views of American Cities set a standard, and established a compositional formula, for topographical art in America. His views remain the most memorable and beautiful examples of the genre, and they exerted a lasting influence on generations of American artists. This beautiful image of Mr. Isabey's exhibition rooms in Pall Mall is not listed separately amongst Bennett's work, but according to DeSilva and Deak, he completed a number of aquatints in 1820, which are not recorded. It is possible that this picturesque interior scene is one of the images, which was not immediately attributed to Bennett. This charming work closely resembles images published by the leading English printseller Rudolph Ackermann, in particular an image depicting his gallery "The Repository of Arts". As in the Ackermann image, connoisseurs are shown enjoying the exhibition rooms in Isabey's gallery. Jean-Baptiste Isabey (1767-1855) was a French artist and what might be called "artistic entrepreneur". He managed to become Marie Antoinette's artist in residence for miniatures. Later, he designed Napoleon and Josephines and drawings in London of his own work and others. The exhibition should have been more successful than it was, but it coincided with George IV's divorce, during which most British aristocrats fled to their country estates. Deak, William James Bennett p. 3-26; DeSilva, William James Bennett: Painter and Engraver, p. 39-42 #14745$1,200.00


	BENNETT, William James (c.1784-1844) View of the Great Fire in New York, Dec. 16th & 17th, 1835 as seen from the Top of the Bank of America, Cor. of Wall and Wm. St. New York: Lewis P. Clover, 1836. Aquatint in colors, with extensive additional hand-coloring in watercolor and gouache, a hand-scribed borderline in black ink, characteristic of a rare early printing; on wove paper with partial "J Whatman" watermark. After Nicolino Calyo (1779-1884). Very good condition apart from a small water stain in the top left corner of the image. Sheet size: 20¼ x 26 7/8 inches. In the foreground, the Fulton Insurance Company; also the ruins of the New York American building. The Merchants' Exchange is seen in the left center. Nicolino Calyo, an Italian portrait and miniature artist emigrated from Italy in 1834. An eyewitness to the Great Fire of 1835, he sketched the catastrophe as it unfolded throughout the day and night. He later painted a number of compositions based on these sketches, in gouache, and some of these were used by Bennett to create his aquatint engravings of the fire and its aftermath. William James Bennett was born and studied in England, exhibiting romantic landscape subjects there between 1808 and 1825. In 1826 he moved to New York City. As well as engraving the compositions of other artists, including important compositions for John W. Hill, Bennett produced original aquatints after his own designs. Bennett's series of views of American Cities set a standard, and established a compositional formula, for topographical art in America for succeeding generations of artists in all media; they remain the most memorable and beautiful examples of the genre. Lewis P. Clover, the publisher, demonstrated impressive imagination and ingenuity in the copy for his advertisement promoting these views of the Great Fire: "These beautiful ruins," he wrote, "are fast disappearing, and in a few months no vestige of them will be left: in a few years, they will linger as a dream in the memory of the present generation, and the recollection of the most disastrous fire that ever befell this city will, like all earthly things, pass into oblivion." Stokes, Iconography of Manhattan Island, page 617, illustrated plate 114b; NY Public Library, The Eno Collection of New York City Views, page 27; Collection of Percy R. Pyne II: A Catalogue of Engraved Views plans &c of New York City, number 165 (describes this state as from the "excessively scarce first issue"); Stauffer 141; Déak, William James Bennett, number 32. #13585$4,500.00


	BENNETT, William James (c.1784-1844) View of the Ruins after the Great Fire in New York, Dec. 16th & 17th, 1835 as seen from Exchange Place. New York: Lewis P. Clover, 1836. Aquatint in colours, after Nicolino Calyo (1779-1884), with extensive additional hand-colouring in watercolour and gouache, with the hand-scribed borderline in black ink, characteristic of early printings. Sheet size: 19 ¼ x 25 5/8 inches. The ruin on the left is the Old Garden Street Church; this aquatint "is the only contemporary representation that we have of this church, as rebuilt in 1807" (Stokes, Iconography..., page 618). Nicolino Calyo, an Italian portrait and miniature artist immigrated from Italy in 1834. An eyewitness to the Great Fire of 1835, he sketched the catastrophe as it unfolded throughout the day and night. He later painted a number of compositions based on these sketches in gouache, and some of these were used by Bennett to create his aquatint engravings of the fire and its aftermath. William James Bennett was born and studied in England, exhibiting romantic landscape subjects there between 1808 and 1825. In 1826 he moved to New York City. As well as engraving the compositions of other artists, including important works for John W. Hill, Bennett produced original aquatints after his own designs. Bennett's series of views of American Cities set a standard, and established a compositional formula for topographical art in America for succeeding generations of artists in all media; they remain the most memorable and beautiful examples of the genre. Lewis P. Clover, the publisher, demonstrated impressive imagination and ingenuity in the copy for his advertisement promoting these views of the Great Fire: "These beautiful ruins," he wrote, "are fast disappearing, and in a few months no vestige of them will be left: in a few years, they will linger as a dream in the memory of the present generation, and the recollection of the most disastrous fire that ever befell this city will, like all earthly things, pass into oblivion." Stokes, Iconography of Manhattan Island, page 617, illustrated plate 114b; NY Public Library, The Eno Collection of New York City Views, page 27; Collection of Percy R. Pyne II: a Catalogue of Engraved Views plans & c of New York City, number 165 (describes this state as from the "excessively scarce first issue"); Stauffer 141; Déak, William James Bennett, number 32. #3504$4,500.00


	BENNETT, William James (c.1784-1844) West Point, from above Washington Valley looking down the River New York: Parker & Clover, 1834. Hand-coloured aquatint after George Cooke. In good condition, but laid onto thin wove paper. Sheet size: 20 1/8 x 27 1/16 inches. First state of this spectacular image of the Hudson and West Point: focusing 'on the beauty of the Hudson River and the mountains that border it on either side ... a celebration of nature, highlighting the ever-changing drama staged by mountains, water, and sky' (Deak) William James Bennett (c. 1787-1844) was born in England and received his training at the Royal Academy. He emigrated to the United States in 1826, and is best known for his views of American cities, including the Hudson Valley Region, Niagara Falls, and numerous port cities such as New York, Charleston, and Buffalo. With the arrival of William Bennett and several other émigré artists such as William Guy Wall, and John Hill, the quality of aquatint engraving in America was elevated to a level equaling, or perhaps even surpassing, that of European printmakers. This print was published at the beginning of an important period in the history of American topographical-view making. 'Bennett etched four prints after paintings by George Cooke (1793-1849) in his series of views of American cities ... American-born George Cooke was a prolific painter of portraits, views, and historical subjects. He painted this scene of West Point in 1832 after he had left New York ... for .. the Catskill mountains' (Deak William James Bennett p.78). 'Cooke benefited from the remarkable craftsmanship of ... Bennett, who endowed the rendering with a radiant quality' (Deak Picturing America p.277). R.A. De Silva William James Bennett Painter and Engraver 1970 pp.68-70; Deak William James Bennett Master of the Aquatint View New York, 1988, checklist number 22; Deak Picturing America 412; Stauffer 151 #18213$16,000.00

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