A collection of prints, from pictures painted for the purpose of illustrating the Dramatic works of Shakespeare, by the artists of Great-Britain ...Boydell, John, 1719-1804Boydell, Josiah, 1752-1817Fuseli, Henry, 1741-1825Northcote, James, 1746-1831Smirke, Robert, 1752-18451803Dedication and preface by Josiah Boydell dated March 25, 1805; the plates are dated 1790-1804.Of the artists, Smirke, Fuseli, and Northcote contributed the largest number of plates; the others, including Reynolds, Opie, and Sothard, are represented by from one to five plates each; engraved by R. Thew, T. Ryder, P. Simon and others.Pub. in 1852 with title: The American edition of Boydell's Illustrations.Sometimes confused with"Boydell's graphic illustrations ... of Shakespeare," 1804?, a separate issue of the (samller) plates prepared for their edition of Shakespeare, 1802, which also consists of 100 plates, most of them quite different from these large plates.Title-vignettes (of Mrs. Damer's basso relievos)Vol. I contains frontispiece (full length portrait of George III, by Sir W. Beechey) and XLVI plates, Xl to XLVI being Smirke's Seven ages; vol. II consists of frontispiece (portrait of Queen Charlotte, also by Beechey) and L plates, the last three "not engraved from the large pictures, but may be added to vol. II." These three are: Romney's "Shakespeare nursed by Tragedy and Comedy," Westall's "Imogen in boy's clothes," and Josiah Boydell's "Desdemona asleep." Counting the title vignettes, 100 designs in all. cf. List of plates, v.2.mixed material