| Method | Aquatint and etching |
| Artist | Nathaniel Whittock |
| Published | Drawn and Engraved by N. Whittock. Published as the Act directs by James Ryman, High St. Oxford. [c. 1848] |
| Dimensions | Image 290 x 504 mm, Plate 355 x 555 mm, Sheet 500 x 700 mm |
| Notes |
One of the best impressions we have ever seen of this detailed and impressive aerial plan of Oxford, taken from an improbable vantage point above the Cherwell and Christ Church Meadow, along with its key-plate. The aquatint was separately published by the Oxford stationer and printseller, James Ryman, who also commissioned Whittock to produce a printed key-plate to the view featuring 65 points of interest. In the inscription space below, the arms of the City and University are blazoned in the centre of the dedication and title. The impressive command of perspective in the view is often attributed to the use of a balloon. Despite the key role played by the city of Oxford in ballooning history, with Sadler completing his first ascent from Christ Church Meadow in 1784, there is no evidence for Whittock having ever made use of aerial survey for this or any of his other bird's-eye views. Instead, the view is simply a lasting testament to Whittock's skill as an architectural engraver. Nathaniel Whittock (1791-1860) was lithographer to the University of Oxford. He was born in Oxford but moved to London in 1828. His nephew, Henry Hyde, was also an engraver. James Ryman was a printseller on the High Street in Oxford, who was active between 1836 and 1865. He published Illustrations of Oxford, which is a comparatively rare work with some uncommon views of the colleges to which celebrated artists like T. S. Boys, Frederick Nash and J. S. Prout made relevant contributions. Condition: Excellent impression with large margins. Key plate: Large repaired tears to left of sheet. |
| Framing | unmounted |
| Price | £2,250.00 |
| Stock ID | 52569 |