Regency Hot Spots: British Gallery of Pictures

By | |

British Press – Saturday 02 June 1810

Before the National Gallery, there was the British National Gallery of Pictures. And before that, in the 18th century, was a concerted effort to collect various paintings from British masters. The British Institution was formed in 1805 by aristocratic collectors to foster development of talent, including a school of painting that would also study European masters.

leries of the several princes He thus assembled in Paris the first works of the greatest masters which united to the pictures in the various royal French palaces compose the finest gallery in the world under the appropriate name of the Museum Napoleon Such an assemblage of master pieces of art in one building in Pa ris produced all the effect which had been wisely anticipated and a rage for pictures and their representations animated all France and kindled a similar passion throughout Europe Among other advantageous results of this feeling was the publication of se veral works of engravings at Paris which professed to repre sent the pictures in the Museum Napoleon one of them in im perial folio at three guineas for two plates and others of small er dimensions and various styles of engraving at much inferior prices In time an honourable spirit of rivalry extended itself to London and it was felt that England possessed in like manner copious materials for similar works which although without impe rial attractions possessed intrinsic claims to public notice Some spirited London publishers therefore united their capitals for the purpose of exhibiting the treasures of art contained in the various collections of the British empire and the design lays just claim to the patronage of the nation under the title of the British Gallery of Pictures No undertaking ever addressed itself more legitimately to the taste pride and patriotism of a people The proprietors unable to collect the originals in one gallery for the inspection of the public have effected all that was in their power by assembling highly finished copies in water colours in a gallery open to public inspection in Bond street In that British Gallery are therefore to be seen exact copies of nearly four hundred of the finest original pictures in the British empire and of course a greater treat cannot present itself to all connoisseurs and lovers of the arts From this gallery then is derived the publication of two series of engravings one of small copies in which is to be given the whole of the subjects in the gallery called the first series of the British Gallery and the other of much larger copies and more highly finished by the engraver and colourer and which is to consist only of prime pictures of the first masters and to be called the second series of the British Gallery The latter will vie with
the magnificent folio of the Museum Napoleon and the former will be equal in merit and interest to the best of the smaller French works Some numbers have already been published of both series and they do honour to the English artists to the taste of the con ductors of the work and to the liberal spirit of the proprietors The pictures of the Marquis of Stafford have supplied subjects for the early numbers but those in the splendid collections of Earl Grosvenor the Earl of Carlisle Lord Northwick and other noble men and of Messrs Carr Angerstien Hope and other gentle men will succeed till the private galleries of the empire have been exhausted In conclusion we shall add to the confidence which is due to these British Series when we state that the de scriptions and letter press are prepared by Messrs Tresham and Ottley and that the drawings are made chiefly by Mr Craig un der the superintendence of Mr Tomkins The Analectic Magazine, to which is Added, an Appendix of Official Naval Docments. (1813). United States: M. Thomas.

 

Tagged , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.