[Rarebooks] fs: An Artist "Quixotic to the Point of Insanity"

[Joslin Hall Rare Books]

[Osborn, Laughton] HANDBOOK OF YOUNG ARTISTS AND AMATUERS IN OIL 
PAINTING...BY AN AMERICAN ARTIST. New York; Wiley and Putnam: 1845. The 
first edition of this popular 19th century artist's manual, which was based 
on the French art manuals of Bouvier, Merimee and de Montabert. Osborn 
discusses materials and implements, coloring, finishing, the technique of 
painting drapery, painting landscapes, and finally varnishing, cleaning, 
repairing and lining. The book is a source of much useful information on 
19th century techniques and materials, and is also of interest as an 
example of an influential 19th century American art manual. It was 
re-issued a number of times in the 1850s and 60s.

Laughton Osborn [1809-1878] was an amateur painter and professional (though 
usually anonymous) author, whose work is now largely forgotten. He is seen 
most vividly today through the eyes of Edgar Alan Poe, who knew him as an 
entertaining, sometimes virulent author, and a poetic contributor to 
several of Poe's magazines. Poe included a vivid sketch of Osborn in his 
1850 essay The Literati, where he related that he had read and been amused 
by several of Osborn's anonymous literary works, the most notable of which 
had been "The Confessions of a Poet, by Himself". "Confessions" had been 
widely criticized by literary critics as obscene.

"It is not precisely the work to place in the hands of a lady," Poe admits, 
while judging it "quite remarkable for artistic unity and perfection [with] 
sentiments audacious and suggestive at least, if not at all times tenable."

Violent criticism of the "Confessions" from one New York newspaper editor 
brought forth a stinging satirical rebuke from Osborn titled "The Vision of 
Rubeta, an Epic of the Island of Manhattan". This satire, Poe notes-

"was not only bitter but personal in the last degree. It was, moreover, 
very censurably indecent - filthy is, perhaps, the more appropriate word".

Still, Poe declares, it was the best satire written to the time in America, 
which was, he admits, not saying all that much, as it was also just about 
the only satire written up to that time in America.
Osborn had once complained in a private letter to Poe that he had 
absolutely no friends, and Poe muses that he was-

"undoubtedly one of "Nature's own noblemen, full of generosity, courage, 
honor - chivalrous in every respect, but, unhappily, carrying his ideas of 
chivalry, or rather of independence, to the point of Quixotism, if not of 
absolute insanity," and that Osborn had "few equals at downright invective."
Odd that he had no friends...

America's own foul-mouthed Quixote was also a playwright, specializing in 
pseudo-historical tragedies and comedies, and an amateur painter, from 
which hobby came his interest in the French works he translated to produce 
this Handbook of Young Artists. Poe characterizes him as-

"a poet, painter and musician (who has) absolutely succeeded as each. His 
scholarship is extensive. In the French and Italian languages, he is 
[quite] at home, and in everything he is thorough and accurate."
Osborn's Handbook on Oil Painting," Poe concludes, was "highly spoken of by 
those well qualified to judge."

Well, it would have been, wouldn't it? Who would have wanted to cross pens, 
or paintbrushes, with Laughton Osborn? Hardcover. 5"x8", xxxiii + 398 
pages, plus 7 page catalog of Wiley and Putnam books at the rear. Original 
cloth, covers with some soil and wear, contents with some spotting and a 
bit shaken. Not a wonderful copy, but nice to have in the original covers. 
[29169]  $300.00

JOSLIN HALL RARE BOOKS, ABAA
Fine books of the 16th-20th centuries
on the decorative and fine arts & design

Post Office Box 239
Northampton, Massachusetts 01060 USA
telephone (413) 247-5080

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