"The three biographers of Johnson sit under his bust, which frowns down at them from a high rectangular pedestal. Mrs. Thrale (left) and Boswell (right) sit facing each other; she leans back, her head turned in 'profil perdu' towards Johnson (who looks at her); she holds a large open book, the pages headed 'Memoirs \ Life of Dr Johnson'; her pen is in her right hand. Boswell writes busily in an open book on whose left page is depicted a bear on its hind legs, holding a large stick, a chain attached to its muzzle. Between them is a small table at a corner of which Boswell writes. At its farther side, with his back to the bust, sits Courtenay scratching his forehead in perplexity, his elbow supported on a book inscribed 'Joe Miller'."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title etched below image, Signed with the monogram of James Sayers., Twelve lines of verse in two columns on either side of title: Three authors in three sister kingdoms born, the shrine of Johnson with their works adorn ..., Temporary local subject terms: Joe Miller's Jests., 1 print : etching on laid paper, hand-colored ; plate mark 27.5 x 19.6 cm, on sheet 30 x 20 cm., and Subjects identified in mss. by contemporary hand: Mrs. Thrale, Wm. Courtney, Mr. Boswell.
"The three biographers of Johnson sit under his bust, which frowns down at them from a high rectangular pedestal. Mrs. Thrale (left) and Boswell (right) sit facing each other; she leans back, her head turned in 'profil perdu' towards Johnson (who looks at her); she holds a large open book, the pages headed 'Memoirs \ Life of Dr Johnson'; her pen is in her right hand. Boswell writes busily in an open book on whose left page is depicted a bear on its hind legs, holding a large stick, a chain attached to its muzzle. Between them is a small table at a corner of which Boswell writes. At its farther side, with his back to the bust, sits Courtenay scratching his forehead in perplexity, his elbow supported on a book inscribed 'Joe Miller'."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title etched below image, Signed with the monogram of James Sayers., Twelve lines of verse in two columns on either side of title: Three authors in three sister kingdoms born, the shrine of Johnson with their works adorn ..., Temporary local subject terms: Joe Miller's Jests., and Mounted on page 57 with one other print.
"The three biographers of Johnson sit under his bust, which frowns down at them from a high rectangular pedestal. Mrs. Thrale (left) and Boswell (right) sit facing each other; she leans back, her head turned in 'profil perdu' towards Johnson (who looks at her); she holds a large open book, the pages headed 'Memoirs \ Life of Dr Johnson'; her pen is in her right hand. Boswell writes busily in an open book on whose left page is depicted a bear on its hind legs, holding a large stick, a chain attached to its muzzle. Between them is a small table at a corner of which Boswell writes. At its farther side, with his back to the bust, sits Courtenay scratching his forehead in perplexity, his elbow supported on a book inscribed 'Joe Miller'."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title etched below image, Signed with the monogram of James Sayers., Twelve lines of verse in two columns on either side of title: Three authors in three sister kingdoms born, the shrine of Johnson with their works adorn ..., Temporary local subject terms: Joe Miller's Jests., 1 print : etching on wove paper ; plate mark 27.2 x 19.2 cm, on sheet 29.8 x 21.4 cm., and Mounted on verso of leaf 38 of James Sayers's Folio album of 144 caricatures.
"A man in ragged but quasi-fashionable dress rides (right to left) an ass through a river which flows past a steep mountain. The animal jibs, with ears set back; the rider raises a whip in each hand. He wears, and uses, three pairs of spurs, and attached to his shoulders and to the ass is a monstrous pile of bladders inscribed respectively 'Repartee', 'Nonsensical Verses', 'Catastrophe', 'Sentiment', 'Blasphemies', 'Puns', 'Duels', 'Double Entendres', 'Metaphors', 'Ghosts', 'Melting Speeches', 'Squibs', 'Dialogue', 'Daggers Poisons'."--British Museum online catalogue, description of a later state.*
Alternative Title:
Dramatic author foiled in his attempt to ascend Parnassus
Description:
Title etched below image., Giles Grinagain is possibly a pseudonym of Samuel Howitt. See British Museum online catalogue., Plate reissued by S.W. Fores in 1804. Cf. No. 10334 in the Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum. Division I, political and personal satires, v. 8., and Sheet trimmed to plate mark.
"A man in ragged but quasi-fashionable dress rides (right to left) an ass through a river which flows past a steep mountain. The animal jibs, with ears set back; the rider raises a whip in each hand. He wears, and uses, three pairs of spurs, and attached to his shoulders and to the ass is a monstrous pile of bladders inscribed respectively 'Repartee', 'Nonsensical Verses', 'Catastrophe', 'Sentiment', 'Blasphemies', 'Puns', 'Duels', 'Double Entendres', 'Metaphors', 'Ghosts', 'Melting Speeches', 'Squibs', 'Dialogue', 'Daggers Poisons'."--British Museum online catalogue, description of the print engraved after this drawing and A rough pencil sketch of the same design but lacking much of the detail on the verso
Alternative Title:
Dramatic author foiled in his endeavor to ascend Parnassus
Description:
Title written below image, in the artist's hand., Unsigned; artist attribution from statement of responsiblity "Giles Grinagain in. et f." present on the print made after this drawing., Date surmised from that of the print based on this drawing., Giles Grinagain is possibly a pseudonym of Samuel Howitt. See British Museum online catalogue., and Original design for a print first published by S. Howitt in 1802 and then reissued by S.W. Fores in 1804. Changes in the printed version include the replacement of the word "endeavor" in the title with "attempt," and the elimination of the speech bubble emanating from the man. Cf. No. 10334 in the Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum, v. 8.
"Portrait; short half-length to left, looking down, wearing a plain dark suit and full chin-length wig."--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
Samuel Johnson, L.L.D.
Description:
Title from dedication below image., State from: Smith, J.C. British mezzotinto portraits., "Chaloner Smith's third state is in fact a separate plate: there are several small differences, particularly in the chin."--Curator's comment, British Museum online catalogue, registration no.: 2010,7081.3485., Window mounted to 51 x 36 cm., and Mounted opposite page 26 (leaf numbered '82' in pencil) in volume 1 of an extra-illustrated copy of: Moore, T. Memoirs of the life of the Right Honourable Richard Brinsley Sheridan.
Publisher:
Published as the act directs 20th Feby. 1792, & sold by C. Townley, No. 38 Greek Street, Soho
Pen and ink drawing depicting Thomas Carve, (1590-1672?), chaplain to the British forces in Germany, historian and apostolic at Vienna. Carve is shown seated, half-length facing slightly left with a heavy beard and wearing cleric robes; behind him a curtain held with a cord with a tassel on the right. His right hand crosses over his lap and holds a closed volume
Description:
Title from caption inscribed by artist below image. and Possibly by John Brand. Cf. Pen and ink copy attributed to John Brand after an original engraving by M. Vliemayr first published in 1651 and republished in 1795 by Willliam Richardson.
Group portrait of nine men seated around a table set with fruit and decanters; they are served by a black page. Boswell is on the left, with Johnson to his right talking to Edmund Burke; Reynolds is seated across from Johnson and listens with a trumpet to his ear. Garrick to the left of Reynolds faces the viewer, while Pasquale Paoli to his left observes Johnson conversing at the far end of the table. Charles Burney across from Paoli also follows the same conversation, as he rests his right hand on his chin. Next to Paoli, Warton leans toward Oliver Goldsmith who sits at the head of the table on the right; Warton holds his hand up towards his mouth as if to keep his words confidential. The room is richly decorated with a Japanese screen on the right, curtains, a miniature portrait, and a portrait bust on a pedestal on the left; Reynolds' pictures of Puck (Mannings 2142) and the Infant Academy (Mannings 2092) hanging on the wall and a bright chandelier hangs above the table
Description:
Title from later state in the British Museum., Also etched below is a facsimilie the nine individuals' signatures., and Tear badly repaired with tape, lower right corner. For further information, consult library staff.
Publisher:
Published July 1st 1848 by the proprietors Wm. Walker, 64 Margaret St., Cavendish Sqre., & Owen Bailey, 128 Seymour St. Euston Sqre
On the left the ghost of Samuel Johnson, in a great swirl of billowing clouds, appears before a startled James Boswell, right hand raised in alarm, who is seated at a table strewn with papers and remnants. In his hand he holds a cushion labeled "Hebrides." Behind him on the wall are two shelves of books, many of which are identified by author and title, or numbered, perhaps a reference to his journals that were the basis of his Life of Samuel Johnson. Below the shelves is a framed portrait of Boswell. A quotation from William Congreve's The Way of the World, Act iv, Scene 9 is engraved below the image
Description:
Title and imprint from British Museum catalogue., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., Three lines of verse from "Congreve's Way of the world, Act IV, Scene 9", below title, beginning: Thou art a retailer of phrases ..., and A later copy of No. 8281 in the Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum. Division I, political and personal satires, v. 6.
Publisher:
publisher not identified
Subject (Name):
Boswell, James, 1740-1795., Boswell, James, 1740-1795, and Johnson, Samuel, 1709-1784
