By Frederick Barnard; Thomas Archer
London   Cassel and Company Ltd
17.5" by 13" 16; 32; 48; 64; 80; 92pp
The original six divisions of Archer's charmingly illustrated biographies
By Frederick Barnard; Thomas Archer

c1890 Charles Dickens A Gossip about his Life, Works and Characters In Six Divisions

London   Cassel and Company Ltd
17.5" by 13" 16; 32; 48; 64; 80; 92pp
The original six divisions of Archer's charmingly illustrated biographies
£290.00
: 5kgs / : SET3-A-3

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Description

Illustrated

Originally supplied to subscribers only. "Written in a spirited and attractive style...The characters which Charles Dickens has created are living, moving personalities in the minds and imaginations of the large majority of English men and women. To portray these characters in a manner which shall satisfy the aspirations of the countless multitudes of the author's admirers is a success of which any artist may feel justly proud." With six of the original eighteen photogravures, described as "absolutely unrivalled as masterpieces of their particular kind." As well as numerous wood-cut vignettes. Illustrated by Victorian illustrator, caricaturist, genre painter, and well known Dickens' illustrator, Frederick (Fred) Barnard. Barnard undertook an enormous task when he was commissioned in 1871 by Chapman and Hall to illustrate nine volumes of the Household Edition of Dickens's works. Included would be Bleak House, A Tale of Two Cities, Sketches by Boz, Nicholas Nickleby, Barnaby Rudge, Dombey and Son and Martin Chuzzlewit. He followed in the footsteps of the respected Hablot Knight Browne ("Phiz") who had worked with Dickens himself. For his prodigious output of some 450 illustrations over an eight-year period, Barnard could lay just claim to the title of "The Charles Dickens among black-and-white artists". Frederick Barnard brought an encyclopaedic knowledge of the Dickens novels to bear on his work. A young man when he started on his mammoth task, Barnard decided that he would concentrate on scenes other than those that Browne and Dickens had chosen to portray. Whereas 'Phiz' was inclined to create dramatic group scenes for his prints, Barnard was more interested in showing the relationships between pairs of characters. While Phiz had to produce illustrations for the monthly serials as Dickens wrote them, Barnard had the advantage of being able to read the complete work repeatedly before starting on his drawings. At the same time Barnard had to seamlessly blend the characters as visualised by 'Phiz' with his own style, not daring to deviate too much from their established appearance. Written and edited by Thomas Archer. Author of "Fifty Years of Social and Political Progress", "Decisive Events in History", "Vanishing London", and "Pictures, Royal Portraits".

Condition

In original quarter cloth bindings with paper covered boards. Externally, some light marks to the boards and wear to the extremities. Division one has some heavier sunning to the boards. Internally, all divisions are generally firmly bound, although lacking twelve of the original plates. Some light scattered spotting and handling marks, although generally bright.

Very Good

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