The plate reversed and in its last state, now entitled “The Bruiser”
* The plate being re-engraved for Hogarth Illustrated became transposed.
In 1738 Lord Carteret’s Spanish edition of Don {113} Quixote was published. For this Hogarth had been commissioned to design a series of illustrations. Eight of these were executed, but, on being submitted to Lord Carteret, did not meet with his approval. The commission was consequently transferred to Johan van der Banck, who thus succeeded in revenging himself for his former failure, and at the same time unconsciously provided us with matter for consideration in these papers. His sixty-eight designs were engraved by Van der Gucht and republished in the English edition of 1756, of which Charles Jarvis was the translator. Of Hogarth’s unsuccessful venture John Ireland writes with some indignation, “As they are etched in a bold and masterly style, I suppose the noble peer did not think them pretty enough to embellish his volume and therefore laid them aside for Vandergucht’s engravings from Vanderbank’s designs.” It is a slight satisfaction to know that Hogarth’s completed etchings were paid for!
One curious fact about Jarvis’s edition demands our attention. The plate representing the Don’s first sally in quest of adventure is without any {114} signature, but the “style of the etching and the air of the figures” indisputably determine for us the fact that it is from the pencil and burin of Hogarth, so that it is open to any one who has access to this edition to judge for themselves of the justice of Ireland’s strictures upon Lord Carteret.
For those who have not access to Jarvis’s edition it may be mentioned that a copy engraved by J. Mills appears in Ireland’s Hogarth Illustrated and in the Anecdotes of William Hogarth, published by Nichols in 1833. Of Hogarth’s eight designs we are therefore left with only seven, which were “suppressed.” Of these six were published from Hogarth’s own plates in Baldwin, Cradock and Joy’s splendid collection of the Works in 1822; whilst previously, in 1798, John Ireland had published small copies of them together with an unfinished design of “The Innkeeper” in his possession, engraved by J. Mills. These plates were used over again in the Anecdotes of 1833 with altered lettering and the etchings considerably worn.
Don Quixote No. 1.—The Innkeeper
The accompanying reproductions are, save for {116} No. 1., not made from any of the foregoing, but from the early states of the plates, never before published, to be found in the British Museum. Thus they will prove not only of interest to the casual reader but also valuable, for purposes of comparison, to the possessors of any of the three editions of Hogarth’s Works mentioned above. The full descriptions of the plates may be found in Ireland and Nichols, but for the convenience of the reader I append a short commentary.
No. I. The Innkeeper is from an unfinished etching and is of particular interest. By some its authenticity is doubted, but John Ireland believed in it, and I, for one, see no reason to call his judgment into question, more particularly as this figure bears a more than chance resemblance to that of “The Innkeeper” in the undoubted Hogarth referred to above published in Jarvis’s edition. In the Van der Banck plate, which represents the knighting of the Don by the Innkeeper, it is also evident that Hogarth’s rival has done him the compliment of adopting his model.
