The witches in Macbeth [graphic] / Orme, Conduit Street, excudit.

At head of title: To the Rt. Honble. Alexander Lord Loughborough Lord High Chancellor of England: this print of

[London] : Published & sold by Edwd. Orme, printseller to the King, corner of George Street & Conduit Street, London, [1799]

1 item ; 53.3 x 33.4 cm, sheet 58 x 38 cm

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Great Britain -- England -- London, -- publication place.

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From dealer's description: "[SHAKESPEARE]. [MACBETH]. ORME, Daniel. TO THE RT. HONBLE. ALEXANDER LORD LOUGHBOROUGH LORD HIGH CHANCELLOR OF ENGLAND: THIS PRINT OF THE WITCHES IN MACBETH, From an Original Transparent Drawing, in His Lordships possession is with permission humbly Dedicated by Lordships most obliged & obedt Servt. Edwd. Orme. The original Drawing by a Gentleman. Sold & Published June 1, 1799 by Edwd. Orme, Printseller to the King, Corner of George Street & Conduit Street, London. here may be had a great variety of Transparencies, and every New Publication. 1799. £ 950 Mezzotint printed in colours [plate mark 53.3 x 33.4 mm, sheet 58 x 38 cm] partly varnish for translucency; some browning to paper and a minor crack through the figure of Banquo due to the varnish; in a near contemporary double glazed frames, somewhat worn in places. One of the most detailed and expensive of Orme transparent prints. The coloured copy, as here, was sold for a Guinea, the majority of Orme’s transparent prints being instead priced at half this amount. You could, if desired, buy the Witches in Macbeth uncoloured at 7s 6d if you wanted to attempt your own transparent effect, although few seem to have availed themselves of this idea. The scene from Shakespeare’s play depicting Macbeth standing on the left, arms thrown out in alarm, while the witches stand cloaked on the right, stirring a cauldron, Banquo is seen watching from the opposite side with arcane hieroglyphs on the walls of the cave behind and the moon breaking through cloud at the top left. Charles Turner (1774-1857), the mezzotint engraver, is known to have engraved the work for he mentions the print in the ‘Diary and Work Book’ that he kept between 1798 and 1804, ‘it would appear that the engraver did a number of “odd jobs” for publishers and others, or engraved plates that were not issued with his name upon them, as well as executed commissions for paintings and drawings.’ [See Alfred Whitman Charles Turner, George Bell, 1907, p.285-86] ‘Edward Orme (1775–1848), engraver and property developer, was born in Manchester, the thirteenth child of Aaron Orme (1707–1782), fustian manufacturer of Manchester, and his third wife, Margaret Walmsley (bap. 1739, d. 1808). One brother, Robert (1767–1827), became solicitor to the East India Company at Madras, and two other brothers, Daniel Orme (1766–1837) and William (1771–1854), were professional artists. Edward moved to London, and in 1794 his first engraving was published by his brother Daniel. Orme was married on 22 June 1802 at St George’s, Hanover Square, London, to Hester (Etty) Edmonds (1781–1864). Three sons and two daughters are mentioned in his will. On 21 January 1799 Orme was appointed printseller in ordinary to George III and on 5 April 1820 editor of prints in ordinary to George IV. In May 1800 he had a shop in Conduit Street, London (at the corner of George Street), and in 1801 exhibited a portrait at the Royal Academy. In the same year he established himself at 59 New Bond Street, London, at the corner of Brook Street, and published Rudiments of Landscape, a volume of uncoloured etchings after his brother William’s drawings. He advertised that he stocked ‘Books of Instruction in every Branch of Drawing, and Drawing Materials’. Then began the publication of a series of coloured aquatint books, ending in 1819 with Historic, Military, and Naval Anecdotes. Some separate engravings of London markets were issued in 1822, but in 1824 the shop was closed, and he concentrated on his new career’ as a property developer.’ [ODNB]" Ordered from Pickering & Chatto Antiquarian Booksellers, D9626, 2023-04-04, email quote.

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