Museum Britannicum, Being An Exhibition Of A Great Variety Of Antiquities And Natural Curiosities, Belonging To That Noble And Magnificent Cabinet, The British Museum. Illustrated With Curious Prints, Engraved after the Original Designs, from Nature, and other Objects; And With Distinct Explanations Of Each Figure, By John and Andrew Van Rymsdyk, Pictors. ...
[T.-p., dedic.] - To The Reader - Index - The British Museum [Plates, with descriptive texts] - Apology of the Author.
Responsibility Note
The thirty plates and three illustrations (title-page vignette, tail-piece on p. 44 and illustration on p. 78) are all unsigned. But the author of the address To the Reader states that all were drawn by him, apart from plates 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, , 16, 19, 20, 22, 24, part of 27 and the title-plate vignette, which were drawn by his son; and that they were engraved by Elias Martin, Frederick Martin, Charles White and others.
The work is dedicated by the author to the Trustees of the British Museum; and again by the authors, J. & A. Van Rymsdyk, to Lord North, the Earl of Dartmouth, Lord Osborn, Earl Cholmondeley, Sir John Boyd, John Peachy, Robert Udny, Rev. S. Harper and 'the remaining subscribers'.
References
Enlightening the British: knowledge, discovery and the musem in the eighteenth century, ed. R.G.W. Anderson et al. (2004); Enlightenment, ed. K. Sloan (2003); D.M. Wilson, The British Museum: a history (2002); A. Goldgar, 'The British Museum and the virtual representation of culture in the eighteenth century', in Albion, 32:2 (2000), p.195-231; M. Caygill, The story of the British Museum (1998); W.T. Stern, The Natural History Museum ... 1753-1980 (1998). On Rymsdyk see J.L. Thornton, Jan van Rymsdyk: medical artist of the eighteenth century (1982).
ESTC, N10353
Summary Note
The work describes a selection of natural objects and antiquities.
The plates show: 1. Taylor-Bird's Nest; 2. Oculus Mundi; 3. Inscrusted Scull and Sword; 4. Ensigns &c.; 5. Ova, Eggs; 6. Ova, Eggs; 7. Annuli, Rings; 8. Flagello, Bastinado, and Spanish Dagger; 9. Penknife with a Gold Point, and Copper Horse-Shoe; 10. Stylus and Roman Fibulae; 11. Spider's Nest, with the Valve; 12. Pinna Marina; 13. Brick from the Tower of Babel; 14. Amulets, or Charms; 15. Sallad Earthen Vessel, and the Scythian Lamb; 16. Nidus Gelatinus Cambodiensis, or Soup-Nest; 17. Tali and Tessera, or Dice; 18. Amulets, or Charms; 19. Calculi, Stones; 20. A Coral Hand; 21. Lachrymatories, or Tear-Vials; 22. Lamps, and the Asbestos; 23. Graptolithi, Figured Slates, and an Agat, with the Eclipse of the Sun; 24. The Human Horn, and the Crotalum; 25. Greek and Roman Tesseræ, or Tickets; 26. Roman Patera, & a large Gold One ditto; 27. Nautilus Papyraceus, or Paper Nautilus; 28. Governor Pitt's Brilliant Diamond, &c.; 29. Antiquitates Ægyptiacæ, Sistrum, &c.; 30. Aves, Birds. The three illustrations show: An Urn of Ibis (p.78); a relief of a goat's head (p.44); and Montague House (title-page vignette).
The writer of the address 'To the Reader' claims that he and his son have truly imitated all the objects illustrated; and he praises adherence to Nature ('All pretend, both painters, statuaries, &c. to have been long acquainted with Her, but where was she thirty-two years ago?'). This leads him to declare, 'I am likewise as much displeased as others, with the establishment of the Royal Academy, which will do more harm than good. For I have known in my time Academies quite full of Members, but empty of good draughts-men. What occasion was there for one, when there were a great many artists of sufficient merit, why should these be neglected, and make a seminary for more beggars and fools ...? How many people have you not ruined and dishonoured by refusing to accept their performances? which were better than the best of yours' &c. He points out that he has encouraged his engravers 'with sufficient generosity', and that they have 'not engraved with strokes, or hatches, as I thought them not natural ... Grate-like work I detest'. Finally he commends his perspicuity and brevity, and warns that 'if any person chuses to snarl, bite or criticise ... we shall snap our fingers at them ... Remember, that if you tread on a worm, it will turn; and that I have borne with patience and for a long time many insults and injuries'.
No doubt because of this outspoken attack on the Academy there was some un-minuted discussion at the RA Council meeting on 7 January 1784 before it was agreed that the Rymsdyks book should be purchased for the Library (see Council Minutes I, 352).
Jan van Rymsdyk is best known for his illustrations of medical and obstetric works by W. Smellie, W. Hunter and T. Denman.
Reproductions
A microfilm was made by the British Library in 1988 (Neg. PB.Mic.C.8882). Another was published in 1985 (Woodbridge CT: Research Publications).
Provenance
Purchase resolved by Council 7 January 1784 (RAA Council Minutes, I, 352).
Binding Note
18th-century marbled-papered boards; 20th-century calf spine lettered 'R.A.', brown morocco spine-label lttered 'J. & A. Van Rymsdyk's Museum Britannicum'.
Natural history - Antiquities
Museums - Collections - Great Britain - London - 18th century
Catalogues - Great Britain - 18th century
Pictorial works - Great Britain - 18th century