[Rarebooks] FS: 1845 American Artist Manual by a Friend of Edgar Alan Poe

[Joslin Hall Rare Books, Ephemera & Photographs]

“Handbook of Young Artists and Amateurs in Oil Painting...by an American 
Artist” by Laughton Osborn. Published in New York by John Wiley in 1854.

An early 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 "Treatise 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. Covers with some soil and wear, 
some internal foxing. [38794]  $85

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