London, Ackermann and Co., 1838

Cm.37x27; pp. 16+ tavv. f.t.; telato antico con scritte dorate impresse sulla cop. ant. (difetti)

Interessante edizione antica e d'epoca,

magnifica pubblicazione a cura del noto artista e acquarellista inglese,

autore di questa originale opera istruttiva didattica relativa alla tecnica di pittura di paesaggio,

e pertanto, ad uno scritto introduttivo fa seguire numerosi esempi, 

esempi che praticamente sono tavole illustrative fuori testo, impresse con tecnica litografica e pertanto ogni tavola meritevole anche di essere incorniciata distintamente;

le illustrazioni mostrano vedute di paesaggio, scorci di città, aspetti caratteristici o folklorici, tipi popolari e costumi di paese, vedute con marine o barche, vedute di monumenti antichi o ruderi architettonici, pescatori, popolani, ...

molte delle tavole illustrative portano impresse anche più di una figura, e tra le numerosissime figure rileviamo quelle inerenti scorci di Venezia con i suoi maestosi e artistici palazzi nobiliari, il Ponte di Rialto, con anche barche o gondole;

complessivamente ben 20 tavole illustrative!

 DI INTERESSE ARTISTICO, DIDATTICO, ARCHITETTONICO, STORICO-LOCALE, COLLEZIONISTICO, BIBLIOGRAFICO

Discreta conservazione generale, segni e difetti d'uso e d'epoca, usuali sparse fioriture e sgualciture e difetti vari marginali e così come visibili nelle immagini allegate, difetti vari alla legatura telata con rotture e difetti vari al dorso e scoloriture ai piatti, complessivamente volume fascinoso nel suo vissuto (la copertina anteriore porta i titoli impressi dorati) e opera d'arte di un noto artista anglosassone attivo tra fine '700 e primo '800 (S. Prout, n. 1783 - m. 1852);

tavole illustrative meritevoli anche di essere distintamente inserite sotto passpartout ed incorniciate.

(le immagini allegate raffigurano alcuni particolari dell'intero volume, eventuali ulteriori informazioni a richiesta)

#####

dal web, wikipedia:

Samuel Prout (/praʊt/; 17 September 1783 – 10 February 1852) was one of the masters of British watercolourarchitectural painting. Prout secured the position of Painter in Water-Colours in Ordinary to King George IV in 1829 and afterwards to Queen Victoria. John Ruskin, whose work often emulated Prout's, wrote in 1844, "Sometimes I tire of Turner, but never of Prout". Prout is often compared to his contemporaries; Turner, Gainsborough, Constable and Ruskin, whom he taught.

He was born at Plymouth, the fourth of fourteen children born to Samuel Prout Senior, a naval outfitter in the dockyard city, and Mary Cater.^[1] Attending Plymouth Grammar School he came under the influence of Headmaster Dr. John Bidlake who encouraged the young Prout and Benjamin Robert Haydon in their artistic apprenticeship. They spent whole summer days drawing the quiet cottages, rustic bridges and romantic watermills of the beautiful valleys of Devon. With John Britton, he made a journey through Cornwall to try his hand in furnishing sketches for Britton's Beauties of England. In 1803 he moved toLondon, where he stayed until 1812. Marrying Elizabeth Gillespie in 1810, they had four children; Rebecca Elizabeth(1813), Elizabeth Delsey(1817), Isabella Anne(1820), and Samuel Gllespie(1822).^[1]

In London, Prout saw new possibilities, and endeavoured to correct and improve his style by studying the works of the rising school of landscape. To earn a living, he painted marine pieces for Palser the printseller, took students, and published drawing books for learners. He was one of the first to use lithography in his artwork.

It was not however until about 1818 that Prout discovered his niche. Happening time to make his first visit to the Continent, and to study the quaint streets and market-places of continental cities, he suddenly found himself in a new and enchanting province of art. His eye caught the picturesque features of the architecture, and his hand recorded them with skill. The composition of his drawings was exquisitely natural; their colour exhibited "the truest and happiest association in sun and shade"; the picturesque remnants of ancient architecture were rendered with the happiest breadth and largeness, with the heartiest perception and enjoyment of their time-worn ruggedness; and the solemnity of great cathedrals was brought out with striking effect.^[2]

He established his reputation with these street scenes, and gained praise from his erstwhile student John Ruskin. Until Prout, says Ruskin, excessive and clumsy artificiality characterized the picturesque: what ruins early artists drew "looked as if broken down on purpose; what weeds they put on seemed put on for ornament". To Prout, therefore, goes credit for the creation of the essential characteristics lacking in earlier art, in particular "that feeling which results from the influence, among the noble lines of architecture, of the rent and the rust, the fissure, the lichen, and the weed, and from the writings upon the pages of ancient walls of the confused hieroglyphics of human history". Prout, in other words, does not unfeelingly depict signs of age and decay chiefly for the sake of interesting textures, but rather employs these textures and other characteristics of the picturesque to create deeply felt impressions of age nobly endured. Whilst often compared, neither Turner nor Prout were vulgar artists, and while Turner concentrated upon the infinite beauties of nature, Prout, more interested by the cityscape.

Prout was appointed the coveted title of 'Painter in Water-Colours in Ordinary' to King George IV in 1829, and afterwards toQueen Victoria.

At the time of his death there was hardly a place in France, Germany, Italy (especially Venice) or the Netherlands where his face had not been seen searching for antique gables and sculptured pieces of stone. He died after a stroke at his home atDenmark Hill, London and was buried at West Norwood Cemetery.^[3]

A large quantity of his original sketchbooks, lithographs, account books, letters and family materials are held at the North Devon Athenaeum, Barnstaple, Devon. The collection was sold at auction in 2010. Some materials are at Plymouth Museum.

Samuel Gillespie Prout followed in his father's footsteps by also painting watercolours. Another member of the family, John Skinner Prout made a career for himself painting and writing books in Tasmania.