Engraving, within Engraver's record book, ca. 1710, English, ink and paper

Engraved scene of Diane and Actaeon (Actéon) within an elaborate decorative frame of curtain drapes, surrounded by acanthus scroll decorations, fish-head and shell and 'treasure' motifs and cupids, pasted into a vellum-bound record book of an early 18th century English engraver of goldsmiths' work.

Purchased through the Hugh Phillips Bequest

Print within an eighteenth-century engraver's Record Book with vellum binding with engravings, pulls from metalwork, some designs, and drawings of coats of arms pasted in.
The earliest dated print is 1699 and the latest is 1736, although there are several earlier 17th century items and many more rococo cartouches from the 1740s and 50s. There are also a handful of 19th century additions and manuscript notes on the Hindustan language at the back of the book, dating from a later phase of ownership.
The prints within this volume provide insights into the use of printed design sources, and methods used by engravers of goldsmiths’ work to record their output for future reference. The condition of the volume indicates that it sat on or near the workbench rather than on a library shelf, and there are signs of use of some of the prints.
This volume adds to the understanding of the interaction between fine art and design, between printmaking and the decorative arts, and between printmaking and engraving on objects.

E.3:171-2003