13 designs for 9 etchings. Items are attached to paper, beneath the designs the resulting or corresponding etching is also attached. Typed labels with act, scene and quotation are attached to most, apparently by the bookseller. Items are numbered but unsigned
Artist: Howard was the son of Henry Howard, R.A. He studied at the Royal Academy and was an assistant to Thomas Lawrence. He exhibited at the R.A. from 1825-1846, mostly poetical and Shakespearean subjects
History: Drawings are designed for etchings which appeared in Howard's work 'The spirit of the plays of Shakespeare, exhibited in a series of outline plates illustrative of the story of each play' London : T. Cadell, etc., 1833. Although the final 5 volume edition of this work is dated 1833, Howard was issuing editions separately as each was completed, thus the etchings for Julius Ceasar were originally published in 1828. According to the DNB he began publishing the series in 1827 and completed in 1833. Folger copy of the published etchings is the 1833 edition in 5 volumes (PR 2883 H7). The original drawings may be dated 1828. FSL also has separate copies of the prints, dated 1828 (ART File S528jl no.43, pts.1-9). The published edition of the etchings contains 9 scenes from Julius Ceasar. This collection of drawings contains preliminary designs for all nine etchings plus a design for a scene which was not etched (Act III, Scene 2. The forum)
Provenance: The works were purchased by the Folgers from Maggs Bros., Aug 7, 1925 as representative of the works of John Flaxman (formerly ART Inventory 281)
Published Work: Howard, Frank. The spirit of the plays of Shakespeare ... 1833
Contents
no.22a-b. Act 1, scene 2, Brutus and Cassius -- no.23a-b. Act 2, scene 1, Cassius, Casca and other conspirators -- no.24a-b. Act 2, scene 1, Brutus and Portia -- no.25a-b. Act 2, scene 2, Caesar and Calphurnia -- no.26a-b. Act 3, scene 2, the murder -- no.27. Act 3, scene 2, Brutus in the rostrum -- no.28. Act 3, scene 2, Antony with the body of Caesar -- no.29. Same subject as no.28, but only the central figures and a few others -- no.30a-b. Act 3, scene 2, Marc Antony -- no.31a-b. Act 4, scene 2, Brutus and Cassius -- no.32a-b. Act 4, scene 3, Brutus and Caesar's ghost -- no.33. Same subject as no.32a-b, drawing repeated on verso of sheet -- no.34a-b. Act 5, scene 5, Brutus and Strato
Also known as
Extended title: Illustrations of Shakespeare's Julius Ceasar [Frank Howard]