1784

© The Metropolitan Museum of Art

THE SPELL, HOBNELIA

506
Printed for & Sold by Carington Bowles No. 69 in St. Paul's Church Yard Publish'd as the Act directs (erased), London.

A country boy reclines on a grassy meadow bank asleep. From the right a maiden reaches over to steal away the length of twine that holds up his left stocking. The poem reveals her design of joining it to her garter for "a true loves knot." Four large trees form a grove close behind the boy with another grove in the far distance behind the maiden. Both figures are well-dressed which give the scene an idealized air. The accompanying text is "From the favourite Pastoral of Gay's Shepherd's Week," that is, from the mock-eclogue, "Thursday; or, the Spell."

As Lubberkin once slept beneath a tree,
I twiched his dangling Garter from his knee
He wist not when the hempen string
I drew, Now mine I quickly doff of inkle blue;//
Together fast I tye the Garters twain,
And while I knit the knot repeat this strain.
Three times a true loves knot I tye secure.
Firm be the knot, firm may his love endure.

In John Gay's poem, the spell, the effect of the lover's knot, prompts Lubberkin to declare his love for the maiden. Using Dorothy George's link to print number dates this impression to 1784.

32.5 x 25.3 cm.
Huntington Library (BMX n.d. Pr.Box 212.1/78), Metropolitan Museum (69.584.18)

Courtesy of the Print Collection, Lewis Walpole Library, Yale University

YOUTHFUL SPORT, or BOYS taking a BIRD's NEST

512
Printed for & Sold by Bowles and Carver No. 69 St PaulÕs Church Yard. Published as the Act directs 2 Jan 1784 London

In this rural scene three boys gather around a tree trunk while one who has climbed the large tree hands down a bird's nest filled with chicks. One boy offers his hat up-side-down to catch the nest, while his companion (l.) examines a chick, already fallen from the nest, that he holds close in his hands. The third boy carries a younger child pig-a-back. The rider hangs on to the boy's cap and points to the climber's hat, which has fallen to the ground. Behind the boys is a cottage with farm outbuildings, and the portion of a fence with stile. The image is from a watercolour by Robert Dighton.

33 x 25 cm.
Lewis Walpole Library (784.1.2.3), Metropolitan Museum (dated "1 Feby 1797")

Courtesy of the Print Collection, Lewis Walpole Library, Yale University

LOVE IN A VILLAGE

529
Printed for & Sold by Carington Bowles. No. 69 in St. Pauls Church Yard, London. Published as the Act directs 28 April 1784

A lovely farm maid smiles as a young man leaning over a board fence offers her a flower. Beside her stands a wicker bird cage with handle, containing two hens on a handful of hay. His pitchfork leans against the tree behind him. In the distance beyond a fence is a farmhouse, country churchyard, and church. This print presents an idealized country with both rustics well dressed. The original watercolour by Robert Dighton, may allude to the opera, Love in a Village, (1762) by Isaac Bickerstaff.

32.7 x 25 cm.
Lewis Walpole Library (784.4.28.1)

Courtesy of the Print Collection, Lewis Walpole Library, Yale University

MARCH. MARS.

R. Dighton del.

Printed for and Sold by Carington Bowles, No. 69 in St Pauls Church Yard, London

A young lady in housedress pauses to look at a bird resting on a sill or eave outside the window on a blustery day. The bird may be an early sign of spring. A gaff-rigged sailing vessel heels over sharply and windmills can be seen on the far shore. She seems to have come from the room , partially visible behind her through an open door, and carries her sewing and scissors, and a bag of notions hangs from her arm. Its companion prints here beside April are June and October. Their numbers 531 and 535 would date this series portraying the months to mid-1784, using Dorothy George linking of Bowles' print numbers.

The dual title indicates that these prints were intended for the growing continental market as well as for domestic distribution.

31.5 x 25 cm.
L ewis Walpole Library (colour, 784.0.10)

© The Metropolitan Museum of Art

APRIL. AVRIL.

R. Dighton del.

Printed for and Sold by Carington Bowles, No. 69 in St Pauls Church Yard, London

A young woman stands in profile, holding an umbrella in one hand, and raising a primrose to her nose with the other. On the post at the end of the wall before her rests another primrose in a flower pot. Behind her can be seen a fountain and woodland.

31.5 x 25 cm.
Metropolitan Museum (colour, 67.539.85)

© The Metropolitan Museum of Art

JUNE. JUIN.

531
Printed for and Sold by Carington Bowles, No. 69 in St Pauls Church Yard. Publish'd as the Act directs (erased)

A woman dressed for riding and holding a whip leans her elbow on a pedestal and looks right. A wrought iron lawn roller or sweep lies at her feet. Behind her (r.) through a gate farm workers can be seen haying.

31.5 x 25 cm.
Metropolitan Museum (colour, 67.539.81)

Courtesy of the Print Collection, Lewis Walpole Library, Yale University

OCTOBER. OCTOBRE.

535
Printed for and Sold by Carington Bowles, No. 69 in St Pauls Church Yard. Publish'd as the Act directs (erased)

The woman is similarly dressed for riding though her coat has a more military design with epaulets. She stands under a tree and before a stone wall or ruin through beyond which can be seen the country side. In the distance, hunters ride to the hounds.

31.5 x 25 cm.
Lewis Walpole Library(colour, without number, 784.0.11), Metropolitan Museum

Courtesy of the Print Collection, Library of Congress

PHYSICAL ADVICE

John Nixon invt et fecit

Publish'd Septr 22nd 1784 by J. Harris, Sweetings Alley Cornhill, London

A paunchy old man in a house cap sits with his foot upon on a stool and cushion, sticking out his tongue as his doctor, seated right, feels his pulse. The doctor, holding a walking-stick, appears to be counting with his eyes closed. The round table on which gouty patient rests his other arm holds an open book, a writing stand, and several notes, and a calling card. He may be a sugar merchant since behind him centered over a fireplace is a large map of the West Indies. To its left hangs a painting of a infant who holds a string tied to a flying bird. The image may comment on the young woman--a wife, mistress, or daughter--who stands before it, leaning on the back of a chair as she looks on. Framing the map on the right is a large portrait of a distinguished gentleman in a wig and robes, possibly the patient. On the richly patterned carpet in the foreground a cat arches its back at a small dog that turns away to scratch itself. This image survives as both engraving and mezzotint.

26.5 x 29 cm.
Lewis Walpole Library (784.9.22.1), Library of Congress (no date, PC2+n.d.)

Courtesy of the Print Collection, Yale Center for British Art, Yale University

SOPHIA WESTERN

Painted by J. Hopner Engrav'd by J.R. Smith Mezzotinto Engraver to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales

Pub'd Sept 25 1784 by J.R. Smith No. 83 Oxford Street

The heroine of Henry Fielding's Tom Jones, Sophia Western leans on a railing and, head slightly tilted, gazes reflectively past the viewer. The shadow falling across her eyes lends her a wistful look. The scene could be from the road to London since she wears a simple hat for travel. Her gown is low cut with her bosom partially covered by a loose scarf or kerchief. The painting is after John Hoppner (1758-1810).

Cat: D'Oench(1999), p. 22.

26.5 x 22 cm.
Boston Public Library, Yale Center for British Art (B1970.3.437), National Gallery of Art

Courtesy of the Print Collection, Lewis Walpole Library, Yale University

THE LOVE LETTER

London. Published as the Act directs Febr 10, 1787 by R. Sayer, No. 53 Fleet Street

Two elegantly dressed young women stroll together in a garden outside a country house. One (l.) holds a love letter and strokes her cheek with the back of her hand pensively as her friend looks on.

The Lewis Walpole Library impression is a reduced version of a posture print first published by Sayer and Bennett "Octr 1st 1784." The original includes a workman (r.) who pushes a roller along a garden path and a verse:

How bless'd the Maid whose bosom
No headstrong passion knows,//
Her days in joy she passes,
Her nights in soft repose.

14.2 x 11.3 cm.
Lewis Walpole Library (787.2.10.1)