On The Paintings And Merits Of Richard Wilson R.A. And Particularly on a Full Length Portrait of J.H. Mortimer A.R.A. With a lithographed Sketch of the latter, from a Picture by the former. By J. Britton F.S.A.
In the Royal Academy's copy between the title plate and the plate has been pasted in an extract with pages numbered [93]-96, containing one in-text illustration.
Contents
[T.pl.] - [Plate] - [Text]. [In the Royal Academy's copy a four-page text has been pasted in between the t.pl. and the plate.]
Responsibility Note
The title plate is signed as drawn and lithographed by J.R. Jobbins. The plate is signed as drawn by Richard Wilson R.A. and lithographed by J.R. Jobbins; it is also captioned as being 'Drawn & Lithogd. For J. Britton'.
In the pasted-in extract the in-text illustration is signed as painted by R. Wilson R.A. and engraved by J. Walmsley.
References
J. Ingamells, The National Portrait Gallery Mid Georgian (2004), p.350-1; W.G. Constable, Richard Wilson, p.233; W.T. Whitley, Artists and their friends in England 1700-1799 (1928), v.1. p.342; J. Britton, The Autobiography (1850), pt. 3 Appendix.
Summary Note
No publication-date is given on the title-plate. The text of the essay is printed over the name and date, 'John Britton. 19th. Novr. 1842.' The caption-title of the essay reads, 'Full-Length Portrait of John Hamilton Mortimer, A.R.A. by R. Wilson R.A.'
This work appears to consist of an unpaginated four-page essay accompanied by a title-plate and one plate. But in the Royal Academy's copy there has been pasted in, between the title-plate and the plate, a four-page extract from an unidentified source in smaller format. Of this the caption-title reads, 'Remarks on a Full-length Portrait By Richard Wilson, R.A. Of John Hamilton Mortimer, A.R.A. By John Britton, F.S.A. Written in 1842.' The text of this extract is a reprint of the 1842 essay with the omission of the last nine lines.
The plate is captioned, 'John Hamilton Mortimer A.R.A.' The title-plate vignette shows artist's gear, statuary and ruins.
In the pasted-in extract the in-text illustration shows, in smaller scale, the same portrait.
The original painting is preserved in the Royal Academy. Britton thought it to have been painted by Richard Wilson; but in 1830 a Christie's catalogue was describing it as a self-portrait by J.H. Mortimer, with landscape 'believed to be by the pen of Wilson'. It is now generally thought to be by Mortimer, but possibly not a self-portrait.
Paintings - Portraits - Painters - Artists - Great Britain - History - 18th century
Art criticism - Biography - Great Britain - 19th century
Pictorial works - Lithographs - 19th century