A Series of Etchings Chiefly of Views in Scotland: With Additional Etchings and Facsimiles from his Drawings

John Clerk; David Laing

Edinburgh: for the Bannatyne Club, 1855

[Views of Late 18th century Scotland]  Large folio, 51 x 31 cm. xxx pages 56 plates (some color) 2 portrait (including lithographic frontispiece after Henry Raeburn). The "Description of the views" (p. [xvii]-xxx) is copied from the volume of Clerk's etchings presented by him to George III in 1786, with additional notes by Laing.  Bound in original maroon quarter roan, printed paper label on front board.  Includes mezzotint portrait (on india paper, mounted), 55 etched or tinted lithographic plates (numbered 1-55 but many containing multiple separately printed images), one unnumbered plate, tissue-guards.   Spine rubbed and lightly scuffed. Spotting to end papers, mount of frontispiece and final few text-leaves, a some peripheral spotting.   Penciled ownership inscription (Isabella Clerk) on front free end paper.  

John Clerk of Eldin (1728-1812), 'a true child of the Enlightenment' (ODNB) is best remembered today for his Essay on Naval Tactics (1790). 'Clerk was an exceptional amateur artist. His wealthy background afforded him the luxury of entertaining numerous careers, including medicine and business, and he also showed a considerable interest in geology. In the 1740s he began sketching alongside his brother-in-law, Robert Adam, and the artist Paul Sandby. Clerk travelled extensively throughout Scotland, recording a wide range of landscapes and ancient buildings. His sketches of Edinburgh and the surrounding areas are highly personal representations of his native countryside' (National Galleries of Scotland).