Beschreibung:

° GRAY, THOMAS (1716-1771) - Elegy Written in a Country Church-Yard. ‘’Gray’s Elegy’’, edited and with introduction by John Martin (1791-1855), dedicated to Samuel Rogers, specially commissioned by the editor, 4to, red morocco gilt, by J. Mackenzie and Son, with bookplate of John Martin - motto ‘’Mente Manuque’’ (Mind and Hand), with 33 wood engravings, after works by prominent artists, including John Constable Charles Landseer Copley Fielding George Cattermole Richard Westall and others, by wood engravers, including Charles Gray, John Byfield Robert Branson and others, published by John Van Voorst, London, 1836. John Martin was well connected to the arts and literary world, initially assisting John Hatchard, at his Piccadilly bookshop, before opening up his own shop in Cavendish Square. He was later librarian at Woburn Abbey. As secretary of the Artists’ Benevolent Fund (1833-1845), Martin was well placed in bringing together around 50 prominent artists and wood engravers, to illustrate Gray’s Elegy. Although not the first illustrated Elegy, (William Blake provided six drawings, for a work commissioned by John Flaxman, published in 1797), Martin required 33 illustrations, one for each of the 33 stanzas. Constable relates to Charles Robert Leslie in a letter dated 16th August, 1833, that he had been asked by John Martin to assist illustrate the Elegy. (1) The work was first published in 1834, by John Van Voorst, its popularity leading to further edition in 1836 and again in 1839, the latter a polyglot edition, available in Greek, Latin, German, French and Italian, costing 12s. in cloth. It is likely that Martin’s friend, the poet and banker Samuel Rogers, would have assisted in funding the initial publication. Rogers was a well known philanthropist and socialite, regularly hosting social breakfasts, which were fashionable at the time. John Constable’s contribution to Gray’s Elegy Anne Lyles writes - Constable’s role as an illustrator is a little researched aspect of his artistic output. Certainly his contribution in this field was modest compared, for example, with that of his great contemporary J.M.W. Turner. For Turner produced numerous watercolour designs for illustrations to the literary works of Walter Scott Lord Byron, John Milton and Samuel Rogers, amongst others. However, the recent discovery of this volume, containing three examples of Constable’s designs for illustration commissioned from the bibliographer John Martin now adds important additional knowledge about the artist’s involvement in this area of work towards the end of his life. We know that Constable and John Martin were already well acquainted by 1828 when Martin offered to be flexible – given the fast declining health of Constable’s wife Maria -over the delivery of one or two paintings the artist had offered to supply him.2 By the 1830s, their relationship was sufficiently close that Constable had become godfather to one of Martin’s children. 3 By the early 1830s Martin had decided to move into the now fashionable market for volumes of illustrated English literature, his role being that of commissioner and editor (rather than publisher). In 1830 he had already acted as intermediary with Constable over the latter’s involvement in supplying a design for a proposed illustrated edition of Walter Scott’s works, liaising directly with the artist over the engraving of his watercolour of Warwick Castle. Both men agreed at the time that Constable’s work in watercolour was little suited to reproduction in line engraving on steel.4 This may partly explain why Martin, when planning his own illustrated editions of some of the English classics, opted for wood-engraving instead, perhaps already hoping to ask Constable to contribute designs. Although we know Constable was already working on his watercolour illustrations for Martin’s edition of Gray’s Elegy in a Country Churchyard by August 1833, it is not clear when he – or the other artists involved in the proj