Portraits of Illustrious Characters: from the beginning of the Reign of Henry the Eighth to the end of the Reign of James the Second

First edition complete with all 60 plates

[In about 1815, the portraits were retouched and re-issued with an additional 40 plates, including some by the engraver Robert Dunkarton, to bring the total to 100.]

Engraved in mezzotinto from original pictures, miniatures, etc.

Includes Queen Elizabeth I as a princess, writer William Shakespeare, famous actress and Charles II's lover Nell Gwyn, Henry VIII's Lord High Chancellor Sir Thomas More, Henrietta Duchess of Orleans, Oliver Cromwell's mother, etc.

Contents: 1 Anne Duchess of Albermarle, 2 Dr Bailey, 3 Isaac Barrow, 4 George Earl of Berkeley, 5 Robert Blake, 6 George Duke of Buckingham, 7 Elizabeth Cromwell, 8 Richard Cromwell, 9 Henry Cromwell, 10 George Earl of Cumberland, 11 Thomas Dalyell, 12 Lady Denham, 13 Charlotte Countess of Derby, 14 Charles Earl of Derby, 15 Sir Dudley Digges, 16 Queen Elizabeth I, 17 Queen Elizabeth of Bohemia, 18 Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex, 19 Lord Ferdinando Fairfax, 20 Lord Thomas Fairfax, 21 Lady Fairfax, 22 Lucius Viscount Falkland, 23 Lady Falkland, 24 Charles Lord Deputy Fleetwood, 25 Frederick King of Bohemia, 26 Sir Godfrey Edmondbury, 27 Lord Ford Grey, 28 Eleanor Gwynn, 29 John Hampden, 30 Henrietta Duchess of Orleans, 31 Henry Rich, Earl of Holland, 32 George Marquis of Huntley, 33 Count Koningsmark, 34 John Lambert, 35 William Laud, 36 Robert Lilburne, 37 Montagu Earl of Lindsay, 38 Nicholas Monck, 39 Sir Thomas More, 40 Wiliam Marquis of Newcastle, 41 Thomas Duke of Norfolk, 42 Henry Duke of Norfolk, 43 William Pen, 44 John Penruddock, 45 Sir Thomas Pilkington, 46 Endymion Porter, 47 William Prynne, 48 Frances Duchess of Richmond, 49 Bruno Ryves, 50 Robert Earl of Salisbury, 51 Jemima Countess of Sandwich, 52 William Shakespeare, 53 Sir Richard Stainer, 54 Giles Strangeways, 55 Sir Thomas Twysden, 56 Sir Henry Vane, 57 Marquis de Vieuville, 58 Robert Earl of Warwick, 59 Edward Wetenhall, 60 Sir Christopher Yelverton.

Samuel Woodburn (1783-1853) is primarily known as an art dealer, but he got his start dealing in portrait prints, particularly "rare" and "curious" prints such as these, at his premises at 102 St. Martin's Lane. Working with his brothers William, Allen and Henry, Samuel became "the principal art dealer of his period," one of the most prestigious and successful in London. He later handled the sale of Sir Thomas Lawrence's superb collection of Old Master drawings in 1835-36.

Richard Earlom (1743-1822) was an English mezzotinter. In addition to portraits, he also produced mezzotint copies of 300 paintings by Claude Lorraine in Liber Veritatis (1777).

Charles Turner (1774-1857) was an English mezzotint, stipple and aquatint engraver. During his career, he etched over 600 plates in topography and genre as well as portraiture, including many landscapes for JMW Turner's Liber Studiorum (1807-19).

Full leather binding, spine with red leather title label and five raised bands, leather missing from bottom 11cm, both boards heavily rubbed and completely separated from bookblock, original brown endpapers. Calligraphic title page by Peltro William Tomkins engraved by John Girtin, list of plates bound in at rear. All portraits in very good condition with little spotting or foxing, good crisp and dark impressions of the mezzotints. In need of rebinding.