1800 ❧ HOLBEIN, HANS. Imitations of Original Drawings by Hans Holbein in the Collection of His Majesty for the Portraits of Illustrious Persons of the Court of Henry VIII. London: Printed by W. Bulmer, 1792-[1800]. Folio (542 x 415 mm). 84 stipple engraved hand colored plates on 83 sheets, 72 of which are printed on mounted pink paper. Some browning. Contemporary Russia. Contemporary Russia, decorated on cover, with a gilt title and decorated spine in eight compartments with raised bands, all edges gilt. Rebacked with most of the original spine preserved, worn. One of the really glorious products of the Bulmer press and an iconic example of early English stipple engraving and color printing. Most of the plates were printed by Bartolozzi (80), a master of the technique, three by Metz and one by C. Knight, all after the original drawings of everyone who was anyone in the court of Henry VIII. The drawings were rediscovered by Queen Caroline in a bureau of her closet at Kensington and finally published under the auspices and patronage of Chamberlaine, the Keeper of the King's drawings. The drawings, many of them preparatory studies for the oil portraits he was commissioned to paint of the Royal Family heavyweights and courtiers, are now all part of the Royal Collection at Windsor castle. A book on which Abbey (not given to praise or ornamental commentary of any kind) remarks, 'In every way a splendid book, the colour printing reproducing with extra- ordinary fidelity the original designs' and which Ray calls 'surely the finest early example of English color printing.' Ray English #19; Abbey, Life, 205. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing