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Original Richard Dighton etchings — over 200 years old!

A London Nuisance

A Rare Complete Series (6 etchings)
of Original etchings by Richard Dighton

Published in London by McLean's, 1821

Sheet size: approximately 10.375 x 14.25 inches

Richard Dighton
(1795-1880)

The Golden Age of English satirical art began in the late eighteenth century with the etchings of Thomas Rowlandson and James Gillray and ended in the mid-1830s with the etchings of William Heath and George Cruikshank. After that time the emerging morals of Victorian society put an end to such forms of always exuberant and often outrageous compositions. During its height many artists supplied the London print sellers with their satirical etchings and caricatures. A father and son, the Dightons, were major contributors.

Richard Dighton trained in London under his father, Robert Dighton (1752-1814). Both father and son were popular etchers in the English satirical tradition. Unlike their contemporaries, however, their compositions are distinguishable by a more gentle and less critical brand of caricature. With the emphasis applied more to character the Dightons have often been seen as precursors of the Vanity Fair style of the late nineteenth century.

Richard Dighton published his first etching in 1815. By 1828 he had created over one hundred works of art in this medium. At that date he ceased etching and moved to the provinces, settling in both Cheltenham and Worcester. Over the next twenty years Richard Dighton worked mainly as a watercolor portraitist. After 1835 he again produced original prints, this time in the medium of lithography.

[ M. Dorothy George, Catalogue of Political and Personal Satire, The British Museum, London, 1952, Vol. X, pp. 267-268. Catalogue # 1429.]

PASSING A MUD CART
(click image above for enlarged view—the Darvill's watermark does not appear on the actual etching.)
A LONDON NUISANCE, PL. 1st
 PASSING A MUD CART

Richard Dighton invt et sculp
Pub'd by Tho's McLean 26 Haymarket London [1821]
Sheet Size: approx. 10.375 x 14.25 inches
Condition notes: A couple of fox marks in extreme upper left margin, well outside image; minor corner wear lower left.
$150
A Heavy fall of Snow
(click image above for enlarged view—the Darvill's watermark does not appear on the actual etching.)
A LONDON NUISANCE, PL. 2nd
 A HEAVY FALL OF SNOW

Richard Dighton invt et sculp
Pub'd by Tho's McLean 26 Haymarket London [1821]
Sheet Size: approx. 10.375 x 14.25 inches
Condition notes: NONE—very clean.
$175
One of the Advantages of OIL over GAS
(click image above for enlarged view—the Darvill's watermark does not appear on the actual etching.)
A LONDON NUISANCE, PL. 3rd
 One of the Advantages of OIL over GAS

Richard Dighton invt et sculp
Pub'd by Tho's McLean 26 Haymarket London [1821]
Sheet Size: approx. 10.375 x 14.25 inches
Condition notes: NONE—very clean. [Though the paper appears to have a different tone than those above, this is only due to changing lighting conditions when photographed; all the etchings in the series have the same cream-coloured paper.]
$175
A Pleasant way to Lose an EYE
(click image above for enlarged view—the Darvill's watermark does not appear on the actual etching.)
A LONDON NUISANCE, PL. 4th
 A Pleasant way to Lose an EYE

Richard Dighton invt et sculp
Pub'd by Tho's McLean 26 Haymarket London [1821]
Sheet Size: approx. 10.375 x 14.25 inches
Condition notes: NONE—very clean. [Though the paper appears to have a different tone than those above, this is only due to changing lighting conditions when photographed; all the etchings in the series have the same cream-coloured paper.]
$175
One of the Advantages of GAS over OIL
(click image above for enlarged view—the Darvill's watermark does not appear on the actual etching.)
A LONDON NUISANCE, PL. 5th
 One of the Advantages of GAS over OIL

Richard Dighton invt et sculp
Pub'd by Tho's McLean 26 Haymarket London [1821]
Sheet Size: approx. 10.375 x 14.25 inches
Condition notes: NONE—very clean. [Though the paper appears to have a different tone than those above, this is only due to changing lighting conditions when photographed; all the etchings in the series have the same cream-coloured paper.]
An Unlucky HIT
(click image above for enlarged view—the Darvill's watermark does not appear on the actual etching.)
A LONDON NUISANCE, PL. 6th
 An Unlucky HIT

Richard Dighton invt et sculp
Pub'd by Tho's McLean 26 Haymarket London [1821]
Sheet Size: approx. 10.375 x 14.25 inches
Condition notes: Scattered foxing mainly in upper left corner, extending into upper left image (unobtrusive). [Though the paper appears to have a different tone than those above, this is only due to changing lighting conditions when photographed; all the etchings in the series have the same cream-coloured paper.]
$150

Caricatures of prominent Londoners by Richard Dighton

Published by Thomas McLean as City Characters in 1824

[Persons' identities per the National Portrait Gallery in London, England]

 
A Good Soldier, but no GENERAL
(click image above for enlarged view—the Darvill's watermark does not appear on the actual etching.)

A Good Soldier, but no GENERAL
[Sir Robert Thomas Wilson]

Drawn Etch'd & Pub'd as the Act directs by Richard Dighton Oct 30 1821
CONDITION: Fair/Good. numerous tears around paper mount/mat on which the print has been mounted (as issued?). See enlargement for best assessment.
Sheet size: 9 x 13.125 inches
The MARKET MENDS
(click image above for enlarged view—the Darvill's watermark does not appear on the actual etching.)

The MARKET MENDS
[Mr. Mends]

Drawn Etch'd & Pub'd by Richard Dighton June 1822
London Pub'd by Tho's McLean 26 Haymarket, 1824
CONDITION: Very Good/Excellent, with original hand-colouring; a few tiny, unobtrusive fox marks
Sheet size: 10 x 13.75 inches
 
CHARLEY the PRINCIPAL[D] BROKER
(click image above for enlarged view—the Darvill's watermark does not appear on the actual etching.)

CHARLEY the PRINCIPAL[D] BROKER
[Charles Wright]

Drawn Etch'd & Pub'd by Richard Dighton May 1822
London Pub'd by Tho's McLean 26 Haymarket, 1824
CONDITION: Very Good— light smears and abrasion marks in image background; a couple of light, unobtrusive fox marks
Sheet size: 10 x 13.75 inches
$75
Levi Barent Cohen or Mr. Ripley
(click image above for enlarged view—the Darvill's watermark does not appear on the actual etching.)

[Levi Barent Cohen (1740-1808) or
Mr. Ripley (Assoc. of Ripley Bros. and Co.)]

Drawn Etch'd & Pub'd by Richard Dighton June 1817
London Pub'd by Tho's McLean 26 Haymarket, 1824
CONDITION: Very Good, fox mark to left of the bottom of characters jacket; corner wear lower right corner.
Sheet size: 10 x 13.75 inches
$35
 
'KING RICHARD' the BROKERS FRIEND
(click image above for enlarged view—the Darvill's watermark does not appear on the actual etching.)

'KING RICHARD'— the BROKERS FRIEND
[Richard Heals (or Heale)]

Drawn Etch'd & Pub'd by Richard Dighton April 15, 1821
London Pub'd by Tho's McLean 26 Haymarket, 1824
CONDITION: Very Good/Excellent—somewhat faint impression, but very clean otherwise
Sheet size: 10 x 13.75 inches
$50
'I TOOK[E] thee for thy betters.'
(click image above for enlarged view—the Darvill's watermark does not appear on the actual etching.)

'I TOOK[E] thee for thy betters.'
[Thomas Tooke (1774-1858), Economist]

[Words coming from mouth:] Y.C. Tallow 30/.

Drawn Etch'd & Pub'd by Richard Dighton as the Act directs 1823
London Pub'd by Tho's McLean 26 Haymarket, 1824
CONDITION: Very Good/Excellent—somewhat faint impression, but very clean otherwise with a few tiny fox marks in margins.
Sheet size: 10 x 13.75 inches
$50
 
A View at Lloyds after a Stormy Night
(click image above for enlarged view—the Darvill's watermark does not appear on the actual etching.)

A View at Lloyd's after a Stormy Night
[Robert Dewar, Banker]

[Words coming from mouth:] Y.C. Tallow 30/.

Drawn Etch'd & Pub'd by Richard Dighton as the Act directs August [no year]
London Pub'd by Tho's McLean 26 Haymarket, 1824
CONDITION: Very Good/Excellent—somewhat faint impression, but very clean otherwise with a few tiny fox marks in margins.
Sheet size: 10 x 13.75 inches
$60
Illustrious Visitor from Hombourg
(click image above for enlarged view—the Darvill's watermark does not appear on the actual etching.)

[An] Illustrious Visitor from Hombourg
[Prince Frederick Joseph Louis of Hesse-Hombourg]

Drawn by Richard Dighton, published by McCleary, circa 1818
CONDITION: Poor/Fair—paper clipped in upper corners, faint creases, paper loss lower left, no top margin
Sheet size: about 7.875 x 10.25 inches
$20

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