[Rarebooks] FS: Boydell's SHAKESPEARE, folio with 101 beautiful engravings [1791-1803]

[Charles Agvent]

BOYDELL, John (SHAKESPEARE, William):  BOYDELL'S GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATIONS 
OF THE DRAMATIC WORKS OF SHAKESPEARE....
Boydell & Company London [1791-1803] First Edition.  Large folio (13" x 
17") bound in contemporary gilt-decorated half calf, covers now detached 
but present.  Illustrated with an engraved title page, two portraits, 
and 98 full-page copper engravings nearly all of which represent various 
scenes from plays, including one engraved by William Blake, and are 
engraved after the major British artists of the day: Reynolds, Romney, 
Opie, Smirke, Northcote, Westall, etc.  The finest illustrations ever 
created to accompany Shakespeare, here presented in their original large 
format (the plates were also published as part of a nine-volume folio 
set of Shakespeare's dramatic works).  A difficult title to find intact 
as most volumes over the years have been broken for their beautiful 
individual plates which in this volume are generally quite clean with 
all tissue guards present.  A small dampstain is at the very bottom 
blank margin of maybe a dozen plates and there is also sporadic foxing, 
again mostly contained to the blank margins.  The frontispiece plate has 
a wrinkle from misfolding.  Early owner signature on title page and 
advertisement leaf.  Please note that there was a larger issue of this 
book (19-1/2" x 28-1/2") that is much scarcer and usually sells for 
close to five figures.  Contents generally clean and attractive.   $3500.00
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CHARLES AGVENT
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