The Poets Gallery
A Series Of Portrait Illustrations Of British Poets
From Paintings Designed Expressly For This Work By The Most Eminent British Artists.
Published by D. Appleton & Company: New York 1867
Includes ALL 36 Plate Engravings As Called For.
"This substantial nineteenth-century volume, The Poets' Gallery, brings together poetry and portraiture in a form that reflects the Victorian reverence for Britain's literary canon. Conceived as a visual companion to British verse, the work presents selected poems alongside engraved portraits of the poets, creating a curated gallery that celebrates literary achievement through both word and image. Published in New York in 1867 by D. Appleton & Company, the book exemplifies the transatlantic appetite for British culture and the high standards of illustrated publishing that characterised the mid-Victorian period.
The volume includes all 36 engraved plates as called for, each based on paintings specially commissioned from some of the most eminent British artists of the era and then translated into finely executed engravings. These portraits, often idealised yet psychologically suggestive, present poets as figures of moral authority, sensibility, and imagination, reinforcing their cultural status. The engravings are complemented by carefully selected poetic excerpts, allowing readers to associate each likeness directly with the voice and sentiment of the poet depicted, while the handsome binding and quality paper underscore the book's role as both a literary and decorative object.
As a complete example of Victorian illustrated gift-book production, The Poets' Gallery stands at the intersection of literature, art, and publishing history. Its emphasis on portraiture reflects the nineteenth-century fascination with biography and character, while its comprehensive plate content enhances its desirability today. This volume would particularly appeal to collectors of Victorian illustrated books, students of British poetry, and those interested in nineteenth-century portrait engraving and literary culture."
General wear and bumped corners to covers and spine. All 36 plates present as called for. Binding in excellent shape with no loose pages. Some light foxing present. No inscriptions. A beautiful, presentation copy of a scarce, illustrated poetry book in very good condition overall. Please study photos to understand condition.
