STEEL ENGRAVING – “WHITTINGTON” from the sculpture by C.B. Birch, engraved by J. Stodart, published in 1880.  This engraving is in excellent condition.  The picture measures 8 ¼” x 3 ¼”, and is matted to 11” x 14” for easy framing.

    Mr. Birch’s name has appeared for some years past as a contributor to the sculpture-room of the London Royal Academy. Many of his works have been busts and medallions; one of the latter, a portrait of his great master, J .A. Foley, R.A, whose very successful pupil Mr. Birch is proving himself to be. If we mistake not, he has used the pencil as well as the chisel, both in landscape and figure subjects. The statue of “Whittington” was exhibited at Burlington House in 1873. Admirable as the whole of the work is, we direct especial attention to the powerfully animated and thoroughly intelligent expression of the future Lord Mayor of London, far truer to our ideal than the boyish, almost weak, countenance frequently assigned to the historically bold clever, aspiring “Dick,” who, according to Mr. Birch’s rendering, is certainly a stalwart son of the good old Gloucestershire knight, whose fallen fortunes he bid his son strive to retrieve in the city the streets of which, according the country-folk, are paved with gold. The youthful adventurer halts by the milestone on Highgate Hill, which proved, indeed, the turning-stone of his destiny, whence he heard the voice of Bow Church bells, “in the roadway of Chepe,” bidding him “turn again,” and we would be “thrice Lord Mayor of London.” They sang to him over the broad “smooth field” which we call Smithfield, through the tall poplars surrounding the Spa discovered long after as Sadler’s Wells, across the classic regions of Iseldome and Tolentone, with their Roman and Saxon remains - our Islington and Highbury - and into the park, by the borders of which he stood, where but short time before the nobles had taken counsel together how they might rid their king and country of the rebels, who, with Wat Tyler at their head, had caused such trouble to the land. Very cleverly has Mr. Birch given the assured and determined look which sent the lad back to London town, whether to invest his small stock of gold in the purchase of the traditional “cat” or not we do not say, but at least to work so honestly that this master gave to him daughter for wife, with a goodly dowry: and by successful trading and clever banking operations he became so wealthy that, as tradition records, during his last mayoralty, when King Henry V. dinned with him, he cancelled all the monarch’s debts by throwing the bonds into a fire made of precious woods and spices. Great strength and firmness are manifested in the attitude, and the work is altogether satisfactory.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE

Antique prints, etchings, 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, lithographs, ect., 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 in the auction, thus giving the buyer an idea of its age.

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