This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1907 Excerpt: ... whole of the colour is put in at the back and shows through the thin paper. This is by no means invariably the case, but it is a characteristic specially marking the works done between 1780 and 1800. These drawings are marked by particular refinement and adroitness. They are very frequently in profile, and the ladies, ...
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1907 Excerpt: ... whole of the colour is put in at the back and shows through the thin paper. This is by no means invariably the case, but it is a characteristic specially marking the works done between 1780 and 1800. These drawings are marked by particular refinement and adroitness. They are very frequently in profile, and the ladies, as a rule, represented in white costumes, often wearing high, elaborate white muslin caps with coloured ribbons. The background is a stormy sky or a faint wash of colour, and the drawings are almost always oval and represent the sitter to the waist, well composed in the centre of the oval. A combination of two or more figures is exceedingly rare; the most remarkable instance of it being seen in the large drawing at Ickworth belonging to the Marquis of Bristol, which is said to have been the largest Downman ever executed. It represents the Duchess of Devonshire and her friend Lady Elizabeth Foster, who was her successor (see page 19). Another very important group is the one portraying Edwin and Mrs. Wells as Lingo and Cowslip, now in the possession of Mr. Hodgkins (see page 33), and perhaps one of Downman's most refined and delightful drawings. One of the largest single drawings Downman ever executed is the one of Georgina, Duchess of Devonshire, now belonging to the Duke of Devonshire. The head only was engraved by Collyer (see page 27). In the majority of cases the tinting is done by water-colour, the rest of the drawing being chalk and stump work, but in some cases the colour on the cheeks and lips is done with red chalk instead of water-colour, and many of the drawings are in charcoal and stump rather than in chalk and stump, and touched with red and black chalks. Some of the studies done for larger pictures are in sepia over charcoal with...
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