ACCOUNTS, &C., OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 37 



Department of Prints and Draavings. 



The third volume of the " Catalogue of Satiricnl Prints," prepared by Mr. F. Gr 

 Stephens, and comprising a number of descriptions by the late Mr, E. Hawkins, is 

 complete, and ready for publication, it extends the series to 1870, and contains about 

 1,800 entries, dealing with a much larger number of designs. In the three volumes are 

 nearly 4,000 entiies. The third volume is concerned with the greater portion of the 

 works of Hogarlh, from "A Harlot's Progress" to "The Cockpit." Many very 

 curious particulars of the history of the publication of the earlier and moie important of 

 these engravings have been brought to view, especially with regard to the issue of " A 

 Harlot's Progress" and " A Rake's Progress," and illustrating the publication of plagiaries 

 of these designs; also as to the copies of the plagiaries, piracies of the originals, and even 

 copies of these pi.-acies, some of which were issued before Hogarth's versions, to which 

 they owe their existence. A strong light is thus thrown on the history of artistic copy- 

 right: of the growth of popular art it would be impossible to obtain a more complete 

 display. The plagiaries jiroved of unexpected importance, not only on account of their 

 extreme rarity, but because they served to expound Hogarth's desigas in question. All 

 the materials concerning that artist's works in general being thus brought toirethei', the 

 personages he referred to are described, and the details of his designs and their allusions 

 have been exhaustively elucidated, so that the exposition, which comprises much new 

 matter, may be said to be complete. The volume displays the period between the later 

 days of Sir Robert Walpole's poAver and the first appearance of the youniier Fox, thus 

 including the Earl of Wilmington's, Mr. H. Pelham's, the " Broad Bottom," the " Xew- 

 castle,"' and the " Pitt and Newcastle" Administrations ; the Earl of Bute's appearance is 

 indicated, heralding the tempest of satire which, in the next period, iiis Lordship's posi- 

 tion provoked. Among the remarkable persons satirized are George the Second, 

 Frederick Prince of Wales ; Archbishops Wake and Herring; Bishops Gibson, Sherlock, 

 and Hoadly ; the Dukes of Cumberland, Argvll, and Newcastle; SirP, Walpole,Lord 

 Walpole, Pulteney Earl of Bath, Bubb Doddington, H. Fox (Lord Holland), W. Pitt 

 (Eai-1 of Chatham) ; Lords Chesterfield, Sandys, Egmont, Lyttelton, Winchelsea, and 

 Carteret ; Lord Lovat, Lord George Sackville, Sir William Yonge ; Admirals Norris, 

 Vernon, Matthews, Lestock, Byng, and Anson ; Hogarth, Pope, H. Fielding, " Caleb 

 D'Anvers;" John Wesley, AVhitefield the Preacher; Garrick, Farinelli, Cuzzoni, Min- 

 gotti, Senesino, the Gibbers, Rich ; " Orator" Henley, '"Dr. Rock," and their contemporary 

 quacks ; Lady Yarmouth, JMiss Chudleigh, Lady M. W. Montagu ; the Empress-Queen, 

 Louis XV., the King of Prussia, Cardinals Fleury and Tencin. Among the prominent 

 subjects are election squibs, political bribery, plunder by officials, and jobbery; the Calf's 

 Head Club, Independency, the Clerical and Medical Professions, the Freemasons and 

 Gormagons, " Don Jumpedo," "The Golden Rump," Hanoverian Mercenaries, the " Gin 

 Act," the Opera, and the Stage. 



;\ third or supplementary part of the " Descriptive Catalogue of Playing and other 

 Cards ■' has been prepared by Dr. VVillshire. This part includes notices of a number of 

 examples acquired by the Department since the first portion of the Catalogue was 

 finished. It contains also a series of illustrations explanatory of some obscure portions 

 of the history of Playing Cards, and of some scarce specimens in the possession of the 

 Department. Some woodcuts are inserted when deemed essential to the full under- 

 standing of the text. 



A new exhibition of prints has been arranged on the screens in the King's Libraiy, 

 consisting of a series of English portraits and historical groups of the sixteenth century, 

 and of the seventennth as far as the reign of Charles ll. A catalogue of them has also 

 been compiled. 



The whole collection of German etchings has been arranged, in chronological order, in 

 twelve solander cases. 



The works of Virgilius Solis have been brought together, and arranged in two cases, 

 and marked ofi^in the MS. catalogue. 



The Italian prints in chiaro-scuro have been brought together and temporarily 

 arranged in classes, according to Bartsch's " Peintre Graveur," vol. xii. 



The miscellaneous collection of Italian etchings has been similarly treated, and placed 

 in a portfolio ; and an alphabetical index has been prej^ared of the artists' names, as well 

 as a chronological one. 



The miscellaneous collection of Dutch and Flemish etchings, woodcuts, and chiaro- 

 scuro prints, has been brought together, and arranged in two portfolios ; an alphabetical 

 index has been made of the artists' names, as well as a chronological one. 



The miscellaneous collection of early French etchings has been treated in the same 

 manner, and arranged in two portfolios, which have been placed with the three containing 

 the works of modern masters already an-anged ; an alphabetical index of the entire col- 

 lection has been prepared, as well as a chronological one 



The whole of the collection of prints after Rubens has now been mounted, and fills 

 seven solander cases; the artist's name and the references to Basan's and Schneevooo't's 

 catalogues are piinted in bistre on each mount. 



1 6(), F 2 The 



