Linnell was an artist who continuously for perhaps more than seventy years, so long was it before the public thought fit to recognize the purity and simplicity for which his landscapes are now famed.  In expressing hot sunshine he was unrivalled – light seems to be the quality he most sought to realize, and on his skies he exhausted all the powers of his invention, the fruits of his studies, and the resources of his art.

It will scarcely be credited that the present scene is laid within half-an-hours walk of the western end of Oxford Street, London, in the first half of the 1800’s; yet an extract from a letter of the artist, dated 1863, contains the following; - “The Nest” is the picture of a fact just as I saw it at Bayswater in the year 1834.  The spot is now covered with houses, but at that time it retained much of its old rural character.  The stream over which the old willows hang is the old Bayswater brook that ran into the Serpentine River.  The place was a regular playground for all the children near, and my picture only represents what was constantly taking place.”  The painting was begun in 1860, but not completed till a considerable time afterwards, the artist working upon it at intervals during the period.  The disposition of the mass of trees on the right is picturesque, while their respective characters are well preserved.  There is no difficulty whatever in recognizing the pollard willows, with the elder tree towards the end of the line, backed by the tall and graceful poplar.  The intervening space between these and the left side of the upper part of the picture is effectively occupied by rolling masses of soft fleecy clouds alternating with strips of blue sky.  The group of children in the foreground is well placed pictorially.  Some have climbed up into the hollow trunk of an old willow, which forms the “Nest,” and the youngsters must be regarded as the unfledged birds.

STEEL ENGRAVING – “ THE NEST” from the original painting by J. Linnell, engraved by C. Cousen, published in1884.  This engraving is in very good condition.  The engraving measures 7 1/8” x 10”, and is matted to 12” x 16” for easy framing.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE

Antique prints, engravings, and lithographs are printing processes, which use steel, copper, stone or wood blocks or plates to produce a picture on paper.

Most antique prints and engravings, which are seen on the internet today, are bookplates.  Because they are pages from a book, there are multiple copies in existence.  This does not, however, mean that they are "reproductions" that have been printed recently.  Because they were, at some point, part of books, some have been preserved in excellent condition, while others show signs of age, as yellow spots or darkness on the edge of the page from being handled.

Engravings, and lithographs are high quality pieces of art, as it took a highly trained artist many hours of work to produce one.  Although there may be multiple copies still in existence, the date of the item should be stated, thus giving the buyer an idea of its age.