FINDEN'S LANDSCAPE & PORTRAIT ILLUSTRATIONS, TO THE LIFE AND WORKS OF LORD BYRON

London: John Murray, 1833-34. FIRST EDITION. 232 x 168 mm. (9 1/8 x 6 1/2"). Three volumes. With descriptions by William Brockedon.
Very nice contemporary deep maroon morocco (apparently a publisher's deluxe binding), covers framed in blind with gilt floral scroll cornerpieces, raised bands, spine compartments gilt, turn-ins gilt ruled, leather hinges, all edges gilt. WITH 124 LOVELY ENGRAVED PLATES by William Finden, including three engraved title pages. Volume III lacking two plates, "The Rialto, Venice," and "Temple of Vesta, Tivoli." A Large Paper Copy. Hunniset, p. 87. Spines a little sunned, corners bumped, each of the volumes with the gutter open between the frontispiece and engraved title (but with no looseness), approximately one-third of the plates lightly foxed, a few tissue guards missing (and consequent slight offset to facing pages), other trivial imperfections, but still an excellent set, with fresh leaves and clean text, the contemporary unrestored binding solid and lustrous.

This well-preserved and charming set illustrates the many romantic locales through which Byron and his characters travelled. The majority of the engravings illustrate picturesque Greek and Roman landscapes, although other European beauty spots, such as Cadiz and the Hague, are also represented, and there are a number of portraits of Byron's friends. These volumes with their very attractive engravings give the viewer a rich feel for the romantic, exotic, and as yet unspoiled scenes that inspired Byron's poetry. The sketches were done by various artists, including J. M. W. Turner, and the name of one or another of the Finden brothers almost always appears as the engraver. (In actuality, much of the engraving work in their many publications was done primarily by the students in their school, but the brothers added the final touches, giving the illustrations a polished finish.) The accompanying text, authored by travel writer William Brockedon (1787-1854), gives us glimpses of Byron's life and snatches of his poetry, and includes a good deal of historical information on the places pictured. William Finden (1787-1852) and his brother Edward (1792-1857) frequently worked for the publisher Murray. They were responsible for a number of illustrated Byron publications: the "Letters and Journals" of Byron of 1833, "Byron Beauties" in 1834 (which pictured his heroines), and the 17-volume edition of his works supervised by the Irish poet Thomas Moore, a project begun under Murray's auspices in 1832..