Beschreibung:

Lens (Bernard, & Gerrard de Lairesse). For the Curious Young Gentlemen and Ladies, that study and practise the noble and commendable art of drawing, colouring and japanning, A New and Compleat Drawing-book; consisting of variety of classes, viz. whole figures in divers positions, and all the several parts of the human body from head to foot; light, airy, loose landskips; perspective views of sea-ports, forts, ruins, &c. Being the close study, for a series of years, of the late Mr. Lens, miniature-painter, and Drawing-Master to Christ's-Hospital... to which is prefixed, An Introduction to Drawing... translated from the French of Monsieur Gerrard de Lairesse, and improved with extracts from C.A. Du Fresnoy, Salmon, &c., 3rd edition, printed for B. Dickinson, 1752, engraved frontispiece by Boitard after Lens, title, 42 pages of text, and 62 copper engraved plates (numbered 1-62), the final plate close trimmed to fore-margin, touching engraved area with very slight loss, generally a very good copy, 19th century bookplate of Kean O'Hara Esq. to front pastedown, contemporary full calf, gilt morocco label to spine, some marks to covers, outer corners rubbed and slightly showing, oblong 4to (19.5 x 25 cm) (Qty: 1) Bermingham, Learning to Draw (2000), pp. 87-88. First published a year earlier, in 1751, this early manual on drawing provides instruction for the depiction of the human figure and of landscape. Bernard Lens (1659-1725) taught drawing at Christ's Hospital, where drawing had been introduced as a subject of study for the students, the majority of whom were to be trained for careers in navigation and seafaring. Being a posthumous work, it has been conjectured that the author of this title was the artist's son Edward Lens who succeeded Bernard as Drawing Master at Christ's Hospital.