| HOLKHAM HOUSE | |
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IN NORFOLK - SEAT OF THE COUNTESS OF LEICESTER |
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Holkham Hall, home of the Coke family and the Earls of Leicester, was built between 1734 and 1764 by Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester. This Palladian style mansion reflects Thomas Coke's appreciation of classical art developed during his "Grand Tour" of Europe which lasted 6 years and from which he returned in the spring of 1718. He was 21 in June of that year and married Lady Margaret Tufton in July. He had made numerous purchases on his journey; valuable and unique manuscripts and printed books, great works of art and statuary. Heir to a great estate and fortune, he began to consider how and where this collection should be housed and displayed. During his time in Rome he had met briefly with Lord Burlington and his protégé, William Kent, and their enthusiasm and imagination led directly to the construction of Holkham Hall. The estate at Holkham had been occupied by the Cokes since 1609 when the founder of family fortune, Sir Edward Coke, purchased the manor of Neals. Thomas has lived here with his parents, until their death in 1707, in the Elizabethan manor house, known as Hill Hall. Thomas employed the architect Matthew Brettingham to oversee the work of interpreting and implementing the designs for the new house drawn up by Kent and himself. In 1734 the first foundations were dug and thirty years later the house was declared finished by the trustees of the estate, for Thomas died in 1759 and never saw his great dream fulfilled. The task of completing the house fell to his widow Lady Margret Tufton (Baroness Clifford). A formidable woman, who ruled Holkham with firmness and great attention to detail for the next 17 years. She and Thomas had only one child, Edward, who died in 1753, therefore the house that she and her husband had spent so much time, effort and money on, would pass to the next male in line, Wenman Roberts. This gentleman (who changed his name to Coke some time before 1759 lived for only 12 months after he inherited the Hall and estates and so his son Thomas William became the master of the Holkham Estate. A politician and avid agriculturist, he was known locally as 'King Tom'.
| PUBLISHED DATE | 1773 LONDON |
| PRINTED FOR | R. GOADBY |
| SOLD BY | J. TOWERS IN FORE STREET NEAR CRIPPLEGATE |
| PAGE SIZE: approx | 8 INCHES x 5 INCHES |
| IMAGE SIZE: approx | 7 1/2 x 4 1/4 INCHES |
| CONDITION | COPPER ENGRAVING , BLANK on the back .As scanned. Suitable ageing. The image is clean, clear and sharp with beautiful depth and detail.This beautiful rare item would look great matted and framed. An art supply store can provide you with a selection of frames for old art treasures. |
| TYPE INFO | A copper engraving is an image taken from an engraved copper plate. A plate of bright, burnished copper that is usually 16 gauge or 18 gauge is used. The copper plate is first coated with a ground, then the image is traced with a sharp point or needle. Once the image is traced, the ground is removed. To ensure accurate engraving, the copper plate oftentimes rests in sand. Using the traced lines, an artist uses a burin to engrave onto the copper plate. Metal shavings are cut away by the burin. These shavings, known as "burr," while removed from the plate must still be detached by a "scraper," a cutting tool. The deeper the burin cuts, the stronger the engraved lines are when printed. Once the plate has been engraved, it is ready to be used for printing by warming it, inking it, and then passing it through a press with the sheet of paper that is to be printed. Copper engraving developed as early as the fourteenth century. Some early examples of copper engraving from Italy and Germany date around 1440. The process used for copper engraving may have come about by armourers using metal engraved patterns to decorate their armor. The first uses of copper engravings were for religious images and playing cards. During the 1600s and 1700s, copperplate engravings were used in a widespread fashion for illustrated works, particularly in France and England. Copper engraving remained the standard up until the 1770s when wood engraving developed. |
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