"CHARACTERIZED BY ROMANTIC FEELING": DE LOUTHERBOURG'S ROMANTIC AND PICTURESQUE SCENERY, WITH 18 BEAUTIFUL HAND-COLORED AQUATINT FOLIO PLATES OF ENGLAND AND WALES, SCARCE 1805 FIRST EDITION

(ENGLAND) (WALES) LOUTHERBOURG, P.J. de. The Romantic and Picturesque Scenery of England and Wales… With Historical and Descriptive Accounts of the Several Places of Which Views Are Given. Engraved by William Pickett, and Coloured by John Clarke. London: Robert Bowyer, 1805. Folio (13-1/2 by 18-1/2 inches), contemporary marbled boards rebacked and recornered in dark green straight-grain morocco, original morocco lettering piece on front cover. $8200.

First edition of this splendid picturesque tour of the countryside of England and Wales, with 18 beautifully hand-colored aquatint folio plates.

Born in Germany, de Loutherbourg arrived in England in 1771 after extensive travels on the continent. "De Loutherbourg's landscapes and marine subjects are characterised by romantic feeling, and, although they have a tendency to staginess, are wholly free from vulgarity. His acquaintance with Alpine scenery and his knowledge of the continent generally did not impair his admiration for English landscape. A series of engravings in aquatint of English scenery, from drawings by him, was published in 1801 under the title of Picturesque Scenery of Great Britain, and a second and similar set was issued in 1805" (DNB). Views include Carisbrooke Castle and the Needles at the Isle of Wight, Ramsgate Harbour, Lake Windermere, Tintern Abbey, Mount Snowdon, Chepstow Castle, Cataracts on the Llugwy and Conway Castle. Plates and text with watermarks of 1801, 1802 and 1805. With second title page in French; accompanying text in both English and French. Abbey Scenery 9. Tooley 305.

Only the occasional marginal smudge, images fine, with delicate hand-coloring. An excellent copy of this beautiful folio color-plate book.