Stirling, William

Annals of the Artists of Spain. London: John Ollivier, 1848



4 volumes, in 8s (10 3/4 x 7 in.; 270 x 180 mm). Polychrome architectural title-page in each volume (plus one extra without letters in vol. 3), letterpress title-pages printed in red and black within red-ruled border (plus one extra without vol. no. in vol. 3), text and marginal notes printed within red-ruled borders,12 engraved proofs printed on india paper, 2 additional plates, numerous text illustrations, catalogues of the works of Velazquez and Murillo, index, errata, and monograms of artists in vol. 3, 66 mounted calotypes (Talbottypes) made by Nicolaas Henneman under the author's supervision in vol. 4; light, scattered foxing to text, a few text leaves browned in vol. 1, calotypes faded with the exception of nos. 40, 42, 44, 47, 50, 54, and 62.  Full red morocco by F. Bedford, dentelle style border, various arms of Spain fanned out in a circle on upper covers, monogram on lower covers, gilt dentelles, marbled endpapers, the spines in 6 compartments richly gilt with raised bands (2 reserved for lettering), edges gilt; spine ends rubbed.

John Dundas (presentation inscriptions by the author in vols. 1 and 4 dated London, 1 July 1848 and Keir [Scotland], 12 August 1848, respectively) — F. E. Dinshaw (bookplate)

A Truthful Lens 157

4 volumes, in 8s (10 3/4 x 7 in.; 270 x 180 mm). Polychrome architectural title-page in each volume (plus one extra without letters in vol. 3), letterpress title-pages printed in red and black within red-ruled border (plus one extra without vol. no. in vol. 3), text and marginal notes printed within red-ruled borders,12 engraved proofs printed on india paper, 2 additional plates, numerous text illustrations, catalogues of the works of Velazquez and Murillo, index, errata, and monograms of artists in vol. 3, 66 mounted calotypes (Talbottypes) made by Nicolaas Henneman under the author's supervision in vol. 4; light, scattered foxing to text, a few text leaves browned in vol. 1, calotypes faded with the exception of nos. 40, 42, 44, 47, 50, 54, and 62. Full red morocco by f. Bedford, dentelle style border, various arms of Spain fanned out in a circle on upper covers, monogram on lower covers, gilt dentelles, marbled endpapers, the spines in 6 compartments richly gilt with raised bands (2 reserved for lettering), edges gilt; spine ends rubbed.
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First edition, presentation copy of the "cornerstone of all modern artistic connoisseurship" and the first work of art history to be illustrated with photographs. Limited to to 25 copies on large paper with the fourth volume containing 66 photographs rendered by the process invented by Fox Talbot. Handsomely bound in a lavish red morocco presentation binding stamped with the various arms of Spain, the first and fourth volumes contain inscriptions by the author to John Dundas. In 2003 our Paris rooms sold one of the limited editions that was inscribed to the antiquarian Sir David Dundas of Ochtertyre.  

"In1847, William Stirling's Annals of the Artists of Spain—the book that discovered Greco, Velazquez, and Goya, to the English speaking world—made its appearance. The very rare fourth volume, of which only twenty-five copies were printed, contained a series of calotypes by Talbot after paintings and prints. Because of its method of illustration it is to be regarded as the cornerstone of all modern artistic connoisseurship, for it contained the first exactly repeatable pictorial statements about works of art which could be accepted as visual evidence about things other than mere iconography. It was no longer necessary to put faith in the accuracy of the observation and skill of the draughtsmen and the engravers. These reports were not only impersonal but they reached down into the personality of the artists who made the objects that were reproduced" (William M. Ivins, Prints and Visual Communication, p. 124).