Josiah Boydell
Encyclopedia
Josiah Boydell was a British publisher and painter, whose main achievement was the establishment of the Boydell Shakespeare Gallery
with his uncle, John Boydell
.
, Flintshire
, the fourth child of a farmer, Samuel Boydell (1727–1783), and his wife Ann, née Turner (1725–1764). In 1766, at the age of 14, he moved to London to begin his seven-year apprenticeship to Samuel's brother, John Boydell. While an apprentice, he learned painting from Benjamin West
and mezzotint
engraving from Richard Earlom
.
After completing his apprenticeship, he continued to work closely with John Boydell, making some engravings himself and drawing scenes for others. He also exhibited at the Royal Academy
between 1772 and 1779. One of his major early tasks was to draw the picture collection of Sir Robert Walpole at Houghton Hall
, Norfolk
prior to the export of the pictures to Catherine the Great of Russia. Josiah worked on this project with Joseph
and George Farington
. While in Norfolk, he met and (on 6 December 1774) married Jane North, the daughter of Sir Roger North.
Josiah and Jane had several children. One son, John North Boydell, was later involved in the family's publishing company.
This partial list is based largely on Fagan.
For the Illustrated Edition, Volume VI
For the Illustrated Edition, Volume IX
Boydell Shakespeare Gallery
The Boydell Shakespeare Gallery in London, England, was the first stage of a three-part project initiated in November 1786 by engraver and publisher John Boydell in an effort to foster a school of British history painting...
with his uncle, John Boydell
John Boydell
John Boydell was an 18th-century British publisher noted for his reproductions of engravings. He helped alter the trade imbalance between Britain and France in engravings and initiated a British tradition in the art form...
.
Biography
Josiah was born in HawardenHawarden
Hawarden is a village in Flintshire, North Wales. Hawarden forms part of the Deeside conurbation on the Welsh/English border. At the 2001 Census, the population of Hawarden Ward was 1,858...
, Flintshire
Flintshire (historic)
Flintshire , also known as the County of Flint, is one of thirteen historic counties, a vice-county and a former administrative county, which mostly lies on the north east coast of Wales....
, the fourth child of a farmer, Samuel Boydell (1727–1783), and his wife Ann, née Turner (1725–1764). In 1766, at the age of 14, he moved to London to begin his seven-year apprenticeship to Samuel's brother, John Boydell. While an apprentice, he learned painting from Benjamin West
Benjamin West
Benjamin West, RA was an Anglo-American painter of historical scenes around and after the time of the American War of Independence...
and mezzotint
Mezzotint
Mezzotint is a printmaking process of the intaglio family, technically a drypoint method. It was the first tonal method to be used, enabling half-tones to be produced without using line- or dot-based techniques like hatching, cross-hatching or stipple...
engraving from Richard Earlom
Richard Earlom
Richard Earlom was an English mezzotint engraver.-Biography:Earlom was born and died in London. His natural faculty for art appears to have been first called into exercise by admiration for the lord mayor's state coach, just decorated by Giovanni Battista Cipriani. He tried to copy the paintings,...
.
After completing his apprenticeship, he continued to work closely with John Boydell, making some engravings himself and drawing scenes for others. He also exhibited at the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
between 1772 and 1779. One of his major early tasks was to draw the picture collection of Sir Robert Walpole at Houghton Hall
Houghton Hall
Houghton Hall is a country house in Norfolk, England. It was built for the de facto first British Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole, and it is a key building in the history of Palladian architecture in England...
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
prior to the export of the pictures to Catherine the Great of Russia. Josiah worked on this project with Joseph
Joseph Farington
Joseph Farington was an 18th-century English landscape painter and diarist.-Life and work:Born in Leigh, Lancashire, Farington was the second of seven sons of William Farington and Esther Gilbody. His father was the rector of Warrington and vicar of Leigh...
and George Farington
George Farington
-Life:Farington was born at Leigh, Lancashire, his baptism being recorded on 10 November 1752, and was fourth son of the Rev. William Farington, vicar of there, who was later rector of Warrington...
. While in Norfolk, he met and (on 6 December 1774) married Jane North, the daughter of Sir Roger North.
Josiah and Jane had several children. One son, John North Boydell, was later involved in the family's publishing company.
Artistic works
Paintings
- Portrait of Alderman John Boydell (exhibited at the Royal Academy, 1772)
- Portrait of Jane North in the character of Juno (exhibited at the Royal Academy, 1776)
- Portrait of Josiah and Jane Boydell (exhibited at the Royal Academy, 1776)
Paintings and drawings for the Shakespeare Gallery
For the Folio, Volume II- Prince Henry Taking the Crown, from Henry IV, Part 2Henry IV, Part 2Henry IV, Part 2 is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed written between 1596 and 1599. It is the third part of a tetralogy, preceded by Richard II and Henry IV, Part 1 and succeeded by Henry V.-Sources:...
(Act IV, scene 4) - Prince Henry’s Apology, from Henry IV, Part 2 (Act IV, scene 4)
- a scene from Henry VI, Part 1Henry VI, part 1Henry VI, Part 1 or The First Part of Henry the Sixt is a history play by William Shakespeare, and possibly Thomas Nashe, believed to have been written in 1591, and set during the lifetime of King Henry VI of England...
(Act II, scene 4) - a scene from Henry VI, Part 3Henry VI, part 3Henry VI, Part 3 or The Third Part of Henry the Sixt is a history play by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1591, and set during the lifetime of King Henry VI of England...
(Act II, scene 5) - Desdemona Asleep from OthelloOthelloThe Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1603, and based on the Italian short story "Un Capitano Moro" by Cinthio, a disciple of Boccaccio, first published in 1565...
(Act V, scene 2)
For the Illustrated Edition, Volume VI
- Henry VI, Part 1 (Act II, scene 4)
For the Illustrated Edition, Volume IX
- Desdemona Asleep, from Othello (Act V, scene 2)
Engravings
- frontispiece to Liber Veritatis (25 March 1777, a self-portrait by Claude Lorrain)
- Charles I (1778, after Van Dyck)
- Jane Wenman (1779, after Van Dyck)