Author: KIRBY, Joshua.
Title: Dr. Brook Taylor's method of perspective, made easy ...Ipswich, W. Craighton for the author, 1755. Including: [IDEM]. The practice of perspective: being the second book of Dr. Brook Taylor's method of perspective made easy, &c.Ipswich, W. Craighton, 1755.2 parts in 1 volume. Large 4to. With hundreds of perspectival figures, plans, and designs on 52 full-page engraved plates, including 2 intricate perspectival designs with movable parts, and several beautiful wholly finished perspectival designs. Further with the hilarious frontispiece by William Hogarth showing a lively river landscape with fishermen, boats, a cart riding over a bridge, a far away village church etc., drawn without any accurate use of perspective, which led to absurdities such as a woman leaning out of the upper window of a house in the foreground and offering a light to a man with a pipe on top of a hill in the background. Contemporary calf, spine ribbed and gilt.
Description: [1], [1 blank], [2], IV, XVI, 78; [1], [1 blank], 84, [15], [1 blank], [1], [1 blank] pp.Second enlarged edition of a famous work on perspective by Joshua Kirby (1716-1774), dedicated to William Hogarth, the author's close friend. Hogarth designed the delightful frontispiece, warning all draughtsmen: "Whoever makes a design without the knowledge of perspective will be liable to such absurdities as are shewn in this frontispiece". Kirby's book represented the first and very successful attempt by an English artist to present Brook Taylor's New Principles of Linear Perspective, first published in 1719, in a clear and simple manner for the benefit of artists, as Brook Taylor's mathematical theories had proved rather too abstract for many of them. The first edition of Kirby's work had been published in Ipswich in 1754, also at the author's own expense. It was divided into two parts, the first part concerning the theory and the second part concerning the practice of perspective. The work was sold out almost instantly. Its success caused the author to add an appendix to the work, discussing some additional problems of perspective, illustrated with two extra engraved plates. The list of subscribers includes Thomas Gainsbourough, who contributed a finely etched landscape to the work, one of only three etchings Gainsbourough ever executed. Kirby himself was drawing master to the Prince of Wales, the later King George III.With a manuscript inscription on the front pastedown ("Medingfeld") and one on the recto of the first free flyleaf ("...amby May 8th 1782"). The binding shows clear signs of wear: the corners of the boards are bumped, the boards are stained (mainly at the head of the front board) and the front joint is cracked, without affecting the integrity of the binding, the title-page shows some light off setting from the frontispiece, some occasional light foxing. Otherwise in good condition.l ESTC T133414; Kemp, The Science of Art, pp. 151-153, et passim; Vagnetti EIVb34; WorldCat 561644765, 882164484, 642374837, 842530705, 46193993 (11 copies); cf. Brunet III, 665 (later ed.); not in Berlin Kat., Fowler, etc.

Keywords: [04F65CFF5112] ART, ARCHITECTURE & PHOTOGRAPHY|[04F65CFF5112] ART, ARCHITECTURE & PHOTOGRAPHY -> [1FF65578C362] Architecture & Gardens|[E51AD6E3D609] SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY|[E51AD6E3D609] SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY -> [4F9743664422] Optics & Perspective|