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Jean Pierre Simon's original stipple engraving, Hymn to the Nativity is based upon a design created by the British painter, Richard Westall for John & Josiah Boydell's "The Poetical Works of John Milton". Such masterworks as Paradise Lost, Samson Agonistes and Comus place John Milton (British, 1608 - 1674) as England's greatest poet. It belongs to Milton's Poems upon Several Occasions. In this scene, the infant Christ carries the olive sprig of peace and banishes the gods of paganism. This impression is printed upon thick Whatman wove paper and with large, full margins. It contains the engraver's name, "J. P. Simon Sculpt.", the designer's name, "R. Westall, R. A. delt.", title, "Hymn to the Nativity. Stan. 23 & 24._Page 92.", which stands for (Stanzas 23 & 24 of Milton's Hymn to the Nativity, from John and Josiah Boydell's, The Poetical Works of John Milton on page 97), and the publisher's details "Published March 25, 1797 by J. & J. Boydell & G. Nicol, Shakspeare Gallery, Pall Mall; & No. 90, Cheapside." printed below the image. Hymn to the Nativity is a striking, original example of the 18th century art created by the British artists, Jean Pierre Simon & Richard Westall. |
Title: | Hymn to the Nativity |
Engraver: | Simon, Jean Pierre 'John Peter Simon, the Younger' (London, 1750 - Paris, c. 1810) |
Designer: | Westall, Richard (Hertford, 1765 - London, 1836) |
Date: | 1797 |
Medium: | Original Stipple Engraving |
Publisher | J. & J. Boydell & G. Nicol, Shakspeare Gallery, Pall Mall; & No. 90, Cheapside |
Source: | The Poetical Works of John Milton |
Note: | Jean Pierre Simon (J. P. Simon, Peter Simon, The Younger): Born in London, it is believed Jean Pierre Simon studied stippling techniques under Francesco Bartolozzi. Early in his career he engraved plates for Worlidge's, Antique Gems. By 1790 Jean Pierre Simon had established himself as one of England's finest stipple engravers and was commissioned to create engravings after such contemporary artists as Gainsborough, Reynolds, Fuseli and Wheatley. Simon's abilities to capture strong tonal values and contrasts placed his art in great demand and John Boydell frequently commissioned him to produce engravings for both his 'Shakespeare' and 'Milton' sets. |
Richard Westall: After attending the Royal Academy schools in London (1785), Richard Westall devoted himself to history and landscape subjects. He was an early practitioner of the watercolour medium and many publishers of illustrated books soon sought his designs for publication of illustrated editions of Gray, Moore, Crabbe and other poets of the day. During the 1790's he was commissioned by Boydell to work upon both the Milton and Shakespeare sets. Richard Westall was elected an Associate of the prestigious Royal Academy in 1792 and a full Academician in 1794. In the 1820's he was appointed the drawing master to then Princess Victoria. | |
John Boydell is easily one of England's most remarkable 18th century personalities. Born in poverty, he began his career as an at best mediocre engraver of small book plates. At this time England was at a very low ebb as a serious centre for the visual arts (particularly engraving) and Boydell sought to eradicate this situation by beginning a second career as a publisher of fine prints. Modest initial experiments in the 1760's led to a rapid expansion of his business and during the 1770's he published his striking series of mezzotint engravings, Liber Veritas, engraved by Richard Earlom after the drawings of Claude Lorrain. This ambitious undertaking put England back on the printmaking map and was a huge financial success for John Boydell. | |
Boydell had now established London as a major centre for the arts and this once poor and struggling engraver/publisher was acknowledged for his efforts by being elected no less than Lord Mayor of London, in 1791. The same year marked the beginning of Boydell's most grandiose undertaking. His new publishing establishment in Pall Mall, the 'Shakspeare Gallery', began by commissioning the most esteemed painters and engravers in the country to create and design large and expensive engravings based upon the plays and life of William Shakespeare. By this time as well John Boydell's nephew, Josiah Boydell (1752-1817), had joined the firm. | |
This monumental venture continued until Boydell's death thirteen years later. By that time, The Shakespeare Gallery had created and published one hundred and seventy engravings on a grand scale. Alas, the expenses for this vast project had been so large that England's foremost publisher of art ended his life the way he began, dying penniless. | |
At this time England's other great literary giant, John Milton, was honoured by Boydell. The Poetical Works of John Milton was published in three parts in 1794, 1795 and 1797. Sparing no expense, John Boydell commissioned George Romney to design a portrait plate and Richard Westall to design images illustrating each part of Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained as well as the more famous individual poems. The engravers included Richard Earlom, Thomas Kirk, J. P. Simon, Benjamin Smith, M. Haughton, Dutterau and John Ogborne. | |
Unlike the Shakespeare engravings, the Milton prints were constructed almost solely in the stipple technique. Stippling reached its golden age in late eighteenth century England. The technique was promoted and taught by Francesco Bartolozzi (Florence, Italy, 1727 - Lisbon, Portugal, 1815). Many of the above mentioned engravers were among his finest students. Briefly, stippling was a tonal method where the image was created not with solid lines but with a multitude of dots or flicks. Under a master's hand, stippling magnificently captured tonal values by contrasting areas of light and shade. Unfortunately it was most laborious and quickly became extinct with advances in aquatint engraving in the early nineteenth century. Yet to this day some of the most subtle and sensual engravings in the history of British art belong to the stipple engravers of the late eighteenth century. | |
Edition: | As one can easily see, these stipple engravings for Boydell's The Poetical Works of John Milton are masterpieces of their kind. As well, these original prints are more scarce than Boydell's other published works of art. They were issued in one edition only and no further editions were struck from the plate. |
Hymn to the Nativity: This stipple engraving contains the engraver's name, "J. P. Simon Sculpt.", the designer's name, "R. Westall, R. A. delt.", title, "Hymn to the Nativity. Stan. 23 & 24._Page 92.", which stands for (Stanzas 23 & 24 of Milton's Hymn to the Nativity, from John and Josiah Boydell's, The Poetical Works of John Milton on page 97), and publisher's details "Published March 25, 1797 by J. & J. Boydell & G. Nicol, Shakspeare Gallery, Pall Mall; & No. 90, Cheapside." printed below the image. Hymn to the Nativity belongs to Milton's Poems upon Several Occasions. In this scene, the infant Christ carries the olive sprig of peace and banishes the gods of paganism. This original Jean Pierre Simon stipple engraving illustrates stanzas 23 and 24:
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Size: | 10 1/2 X 7 (Sizes in inches are approximate, height preceding width of plate-mark or image.) |
Matted with 100% Archival Materials | |
Buy Now | Price: $1,150.00 US |
Condition: | Printed upon thick Whatman wove paper and with large, full margins as published by John and Josiah Boydell in Pall Mall in 1797. It contains the engraver's name, "J. P. Simon Sculpt.", the designer's name, "R. Westall, R. A. delt.", title, "Hymn to the Nativity. Stan. 23 & 24._Page 92.", and publisher's details "Published March 25, 1797 by J. & J. Boydell & G. Nicol, Shakspeare Gallery, Pall Mall; & No. 90, Cheapside." printed below the image. Containing faint water staining in the left margin (well away from the actual engraving) and one spot of foxing to the right of the angel's outstretched arm, else a rich, early impression and in excellent condition throughout. This original stipple engraving represents both a scarce and superb example of late eighteenth century British art. |
Important Information: | The artist biographies, research and or information pertaining to all the original works of art posted on our pages has been written and designed by Greg & Connie Peters exclusively for our site, (www.artoftheprint.com). Please visit us regularly to view the latest artworks offered for sale. We will soon be posting an update of our most recent research and include the biographical and historical information pertaining to our next collection of original works of art created by artists throughout the centuries. We hope you found the information you were looking for and that it has been beneficial. Our Gallery, (Art of the Print / www.artoftheprint.com) guarantees the authenticity of every work of art we sell 100%. Full documentation and certification is provided. We offer a wide selection of international fine art dating from the early Renaissance to the contemporary art period. |
Original Stipple Engraving by the British artist Jean Pierre Simon designed by Richard Westall.
'First Edition Impression'
Hymn to the Nativity (Poetical Works of John Milton) |
View other original engravings by Jean Pierre Simon.
View other original engravings published by John and Josiah Boydell for "The Poetical Works of John Milton".
The Poetical Works of John Milton | ||||||
Designed by Richard Westall | ||||||
# | Image | Title & Engraver | Engraver Info | Medium | Date | - |
01.- | Comus: Sabrina Releasing the Lady from her Spell by John Ogborne | John Ogborne (Chelmsford, 1755 - London, 1837) | Original Stipple Engraving 'First Edition Impression | 1797 | Available | |
02.- | - | Comus: The Forest Scene by Benjamin Smith | Benjamin Smith (London, 1754 - 1833) | Original Stipple Engraving 'First Edition Impression | 1797 | -- |
03.- | - | Comus: The Temptation Scene by Benjamin Smith | Benjamin Smith (London, 1754 - 1833) & Benjamin Duterrau (1767 - 1851) |
Original Stipple Engraving 'First Edition Impression | 1797 | -- |
04.- | - | Elegia Quinta by Thomas Kirk | Thomas Kirk (London, Died, 1797) | Original Stipple Engraving 'First Edition Impression | 1797 | -- |
05.- | Hymn to the Nativity by Jean Pierre Simon | Jean Pierre Simon, 'John Peter Simon' (London, 1750 - Paris, c. 1810) | Original Stipple Engraving 'First Edition Impression | 1797 | Available | |
06.- | - | Il Penseroso by John Ogborne | John Ogborne (Chelmsford, 1755 - London, 1837) | Original Stipple Engraving 'First Edition Impression | 1797 | -- |
07.- | On the Death of a Fair Infant by Benjamin Smith | Benjamin Smith (London, 1754 - 1833) | Original Stipple Engraving 'First Edition Impression | 1794 | Available | |
08.- | - | L'Allegro by Thomas Kirk | Thomas Kirk (London, Died, 1797) | Original Stipple Engraving 'First Edition Impression | 1797 | -- |
09.- | Lycidas (A poem by John Milton), by Benjamin Smith | Benjamin Smith (London, 1754 - 1833) | Original Stipple Engraving 'First Edition Impression | 1797 | Available | |
10.- | - | Milton and his two Daughters by Benjamin Smith | Benjamin Smith (London, 1754 - 1833) | Original Stipple Engraving 'First Edition Impression | 1797 | -- |
11.- | Paradise Lost: Adam and Eve Banished from Paradise by Benjamin Smith | Benjamin Smith (London, 1754 - 1833) | Original Stipple Engraving 'First Edition Impression | 1795 | Available | |
12.- | Paradise Lost: Adam Awakening Eve by Richard Earlom | Richard Earlom (London, 1743 - 1822) | Original Stipple Engraving 'First Edition Impression | 1794 | Sold | |
13.- | Paradise Lost: Death Leaving the Gates of Hell for the World of Man by John Ogborne | John Ogborne (Chelmsford, 1755 - London, 1837) | Original Stipple Engraving 'First Edition Impression | 1795 | Available | |
14.- | Paradise Lost: Eve in the Garden of Eden by Richard Earlom | Richard Earlom (London, 1743 - 1822) | Original Stipple Engraving 'First Edition Impression | 1795 | Sold | |
15.- | Paradise Lost: Messiah Routs Satan and his Angels by Luigi Schiavonetti | Luigi Schiavonetti (Bassano, Italy, 1765 - London, 1810) | Original Stipple Engraving 'First Edition Impression | 1794 | Sold | |
16.- | Paradise Lost: Satan Alarmed by Jean Pierre Simon | Jean Pierre Simon, 'John Peter Simon' (London, 1750 - Paris, c. 1810) | Original Stipple Engraving 'First Edition Impression | 1794 | Available | |
17.- | - | Paradise Lost: Satan at the Gates of Hell by Jean Pierre Simon | Jean Pierre Simon, 'John Peter Simon' (London, 1750 - Paris, c. 1810) | Original Stipple Engraving 'First Edition Impression | 1794 | -- |
18.- | - | Paradise Lost: Satan Awakening His Legions by Jean Pierre Simon | Jean Pierre Simon, 'John Peter Simon' (London, 1750 - Paris, c. 1810) | Original Stipple Engraving 'First Edition Impression | 1794 | -- |
19.- | Paradise Lost: The Angel Raphael Relates The Story of Creation to Adam and Eve by Thomas Kirk | Thomas Kirk (London, Died, 1797) | Original Stipple Engraving 'First Edition Impression | 1795 | Sold | |
20.- | Paradise Lost: The Temptation of Eve by Thomas Kirk | Thomas Kirk (London, Died, 1797) | Original Stipple Engraving 'First Edition Impression | 1795 | Sold | |
21.- | Paradise Regained: Christ and Satan Dispute the Value of Earthly Glory. by William Satchwell Leney | William Satchwell Leney (London, 1769 - Longue Pointe (Montreal), Canada, 1831) | Original Stipple Engraving 'First Edition Impression | 1795 | Available | |
22.- | Paradise Regained: Christ in the Wilderness by Moses Haughton Junior | Moses Haughton, Junior (Wednesbury, Staffordshire, c. 1772 - London, 1848) | Original Stipple Engraving 'First Edition Impression | 1795 | Available | |
23.- | Paradise Regained: The Fall of Satan by Benjamin Smith | Benjamin Smith (London, 1754 - 1833) | Original Stipple Engraving 'First Edition Impression | 1795 | Available |
Portraits of John Milton (England, 1608 - 1674) | |||||||
# | Image | Title & Artist | Artist Info | Medium | Publisher | Date | - |
01.- | John Milton, Age 21 by William Nelson Gardiner | William Nelson Gardiner (Dublin, 1766 - London, 1814) | Original Stipple Engraving and Etching | John and Josiah Boydell & George Nicol, London | 1794 | Sold | |
02.- | John Milton, Age 62 by William Nelson Gardiner | William Nelson Gardiner (Dublin, 1766 - London, 1814) | Original Stipple Engraving and Etching | John and Josiah Boydell & George Nicol, London | 1794 | ||
03.- | Portrait of John Milton as a Child by Giovanni Battista Cipriani | Giovanni Battista Cipriani (Florence, Italy, 1727 - London (Hammersmith), 1785) | Original Etching | Thomas Hollis (J. & J. Boydell & G. Nicol Edition, 1794) | 1760 | ||
04.- | Portrait of John Milton as a Young Man by Giovanni Battista Cipriani | Giovanni Battista Cipriani (Florence, Italy, 1727 - London (Hammersmith), 1785) | Original Etching | Thomas Hollis (J. & J. Boydell & G. Nicol Edition, 1794) | 1760 | ||
05.- | Portrait of John Milton in Old Age by Giovanni Battista Cipriani | Giovanni Battista Cipriani (Florence, Italy, 1727 - London (Hammersmith), 1785) | Original Etching | Thomas Hollis (J. & J. Boydell & G. Nicol Edition, 1794) | 1760 | ||
06.- | Portion of a Shield (John Milton dictating his epic poem, "Paradise Lost", to his daughter.) by John Alfred Vinter | John Alfred Vinter (London, 1828 - 1905) | Original Lithograph | Day & Son, London | 1852 |
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