The Microcosm of London

London, R. Ackermann 1808-10

Aquatints

Original hand-colouring

230x280mm

The Microcosm of London

The publisher and drawing master Rudolf Ackermann (1764-1834), had come to London from Germany in his early twenties. A philanthropist and businessman, the money he raised to help Leipzig after its devastation by Napoleon in 1813 made him a public figure in both England and Germany. The Microcosm of London, which combined the comic genius (although kept on a tight leash by Ackermann) of Thomas Rowlandson who executed the figures and the precise architectural draughtsmanship of Augustus Pugin, was intended to provide an intimate look at the the major buildings and landmarks of Georgian London.

J. Bluck after Pugin & Rowlandson ***

Christie’s Auction Room

Published Feb. 1^st 1808 at R. Ackermann’s Repository of Arts, 101 Strand, London

Aquatint with original hand-colouring, printed on rolled paper.

Sheet: 326 x 266 mm

Some mild time staining. Otherwise, in good condition.

Price: £90

A buzzing scene in the famous Christies Auction room, in which a sale is taking place. This image is a continuation of the famous series by Rowlandson and Pugin.

Thomas Rowlandson and Augustus Pugin

Kings Bench Prison

£80

A view of Kings Bench Prison in Southwark, south London. It served as a prison from medieval times up until 1880 when it was closed down. It took its name from the Kings Bench court of law, which dealt in cases of defamation and bankruptcy among others. However, its name changed to the Queens Prison in 1842 and later on became the Southwark convict Prison. It also served as a debtors prison in the mid 19th century until the practise was abolished in the 1860s. One of the prison's most famous inmates, was the writer John Wilkes, who was imprisoned for writing the famous article 'The North Briton' that criticized George III. His incarceration prompted a riot - better known as the Massacre of St George's Field.

Vuë du Canal, du Batiment Chinois, de la Rotonde, et des Jardins de Ranelagh un jour de rejouissance.

Paris chez Mesard rue Greneta, a la renommée de la Cornemuse (Paris c.1790)

Copper engraving with period hand colouring

Laid down on backing card

268 x 414mm

£120

A View of the Canal, Chinese Building, Rotunde in Ranelagh Gardens, with Masquarade &c.

A naively executed view of the floating chinese pavillion, with the Rotunda in the background, in Ranelagh Pleasure Gardens, Chelsea, west London, enlivened with fashionable patrons in exotic fancy dress. Ranelagh Pleasure Gardens were laid out in 1742. The Rotunda, built by William Jones, a surveyor for the East India Company, was 150 feet in diameter and heated by an enormous four sided fireplace in the centre which also formed part of the support for the roof. Around the walls were booths for eating and drinking, and an orchestra in which Mozart once played. The extensive gardens were laid out in a series of walks and groves, dimly lit at night with chinese lanterns, providing ideal trysting places for lovers. By the beginning of the nineteenth century the gardens had become a resort for less fashionable sections of society and the haunt of thieves and pickpockets. In 1803 the Rotunda was demolished and the gardens finally closed two years later. The site is now part of Chelsea Hospital gardens.