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 BASIRE, James (1769-1822) after Hugh O'NEILL (1784-1824)
Magdalene Tower and Grove, from Christ-Church Meadow
circa 1810. Hand-coloured engraving by Basire after a drawing by the architectural draughtsman Hugh O'Neill. Printed on wove paper. Very good condition apart from some overall light soiling, minor foxing, and a mild water stain in the top margin. Plate mark: 13 5/16 x 17 3/4 inches. Sheet size: 14 5/8 x 20 7/8 inches.
A picturesque view of the spires and surrounding landscape of Oxford's historic Magdalene College, from "The Oxford Almanack."
The Oxford Almanack was a series of broadsides annually published by Oxford University Press since 1674. Beginning in 1723, the almanac was illustrated by topographical engravings by eminent artists including Basire, George Vertue (1684-1756), and Michael Burghers (1653-1727), below which was printed a calendar and additional tables of extraneous information regarding the history and topography of England.
James Basire came from a family of engravers that was renowned for their outstanding engravings of English and European antiquities. He established a reputation for himself as a skillful line engraver and eventually succeeded his father as engraver to both the Royal Society and the Society of Antiquaries, which published the bulk of his work. Between the years 1797-1809 and 1811-14, he contributed a number of topographical engravings to The Oxford Almanac.
Cf. Dictionary of National Biography.
#14416 $600.00  
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