60 Great Books Bauman Rare Books - 58 - Impressive 1802 Boydell-Illustrated Shakespeare, In Splendid Morocco-Gilt 56. SHAKESPEARE, William. The Dramatic Works of Shakspeare. Revised by George Steevens. London, 1802. Nine volumes. Large, thick folio (13 by 17 inches), contemporary full burgundy morocco gilt. $21,000. Monumental 1802 Boydell-Steevens edition of Shakespeare’s Works, complete with two engraved frontispieces and the full complement of 94 fine full-page copper engravings after paintings by the leading English artists of the time, edited by Boydell and revised by renowned 18thcentury Shakespearean scholar George Steevens, sumptuously bound in full contemporary morocco-gilt. “Boydell’s gallery completely altered the course of English painting… Boydell had almost single-handedly created a market for what was called ‘history painting,’ and painters had a source of income that was not rooted primarily in portraiture” (Friedman, 2). Contributors include Reynolds, Fuseli, Smirke, Northcote, Porter, Stothard, Hamilton, Bunbury, Opie and Westall. According to Boydell’s prospectus of 1786, a type foundry, an ink factory, and a printing house were all specially erected for the production of this edition. He began issuing the work in 1791 in 18 eventual parts, then published a nine-volume folio edition in 1802 (this set). “There can be no doubt that Boydell’s Shakespeare… was the most splendid of bibliophile editions undertaken in the 18th century or at any other time” (Franklin, 47-48). This set with 1802 general title page for each volume, all half titles, and a complete complement of 96 folio plates, including the second frontispiece bust of Shakespeare not listed in the Directions to the Binder (not bound in this copy), which calls for 95 plates. Includes the important prefaces of Pope and Johnson. Two leaves in Volume II from Much Ado About Nothing supplied from a smaller copy. Scattered foxing, a few instances of faint dampstaining, magnificent contemporary binding with modest wear to boards. A beautiful copy of a historic edition of Shakespeare.
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