Robert
Dighton. (c.1752 .
.1814).
Robert Dighton was best known as a
clever social
satirist and an unfortunate art thief. Richard Dighton published
his first etching in 1815. By 1828 he had created over one hundred
works of art in this medium. At that date he ceased etching and
moved to the provinces, settling in both Cheltenham and Worcester.
Over the next twenty years Dighton worked mainly as a watercolor
portraitist. After 1835 he again produced original prints, this
time in the medium of lithography. An accomplished portrait painter
and etcher, Dighton exhibited at the Free Society of Artists from
1769 until 1773. In addition, he periodically exhibited at the
Royal Academy. Dighton used his subtle style to produce a great
number of humorous portraits of the leading figures in English
society. In awkward poses and with ruddy faces, Dighton satirized
lawyers, military officers, actor, and actresses who were seen
about town. He also did a series of amusing portraits of Oxford
professors and country gentlemen, which display the same subtle
sense of humor typical of his caricatures.
In 1806 the British Museum discovered that
Dighton had been
stealing prints from their print room and selling them on the open
market. An art dealer by the name of Samuel Woodburn had purchased
a copy of Rembrandt's "Coach Landscape" from Dighton for twelve
guineas. Supposing it may be a copy, Woodburn took the print to the
British Museum to compare it with their impression; upon which he
discovered that their copy was missing. Upon investigation Dighton
confessed that he befriended the museum officials by drawing
portraits of them when he visited the museum. This relationship
allowed him the freedom to steal prints from the print room and
remove them from the museum in his portfolio. He then proceeded to
supplement his artists' income by selling the pilfered items to the
art trade. Although he had somewhat questionable morals, Dighton
remains an important English caricaturist who brought the
profession a refreshing subtlety and quiet wit. Ironically, many of
Dighton's caricatures and some of his original drawings can now be
found in the print room of the British Museum.
Robert Dighton. (c.1752 . . 1814). . .
. . . . . Richard
Dighton. (1795 . . 1880).
Both Father and Son produced many
portrait etchings.
Usually they were single figures with little or no background.
Robert Dighton's prints are numerous and originally sold tinted by
hand, are chiefly satirical portraits of the leading counsel then
at the bar, military officers, actors and actresses, he signed
himself R. Dighton and Dighton, whereas his son Richard wrote his
name in full
**These are pictured
to
show any faults ie strong lighting edge nicks unmended they will
normally be sent mended but I prefer to show ' warts and all'
rather than to mount skillfully and
decieve**
'The
Late Right Revd Dr
Samuel Horsley, Lord Bishop of St
Asaph' (Samuel Horsley)
Samuel
Horsley (1733-1806), Bishop
of St Asaph; Secretary of the
Royal Society
by
and published by Robert
Dighton hand-coloured
etching, published December 1809 (1802) London:
Published by Robert Dighton, Charg.
Cross,
Engraving with added hand-colour. Printed on watermarked laid
paper. Name of subjects inscribed in contemporary script on
bottom of image. offsetting otherwise pretty perfect £80
inc
|
|
Mr
Cooke 'Ha I am King? tis so -but-
Edward lives' From a
drawing in the posssession of Tho Harris esq
(
GEORGE
FREDERICK
COOKE ) by and published by Robert Dighton hand-coloured
etching, published 1 December 1800 11 1/4 in. x 8 1/8 in. (287 mm x
207 mm) paper size £80 mounted matted minor soft
crease
|
|
'A view of
Hill near Downshire' (Arthur Trumbull Hill, 3rd Marquess
of Downshire)
by
and published by Robert
Dighton hand-coloured etching, London:
Published by Robert Dighton, Charg. Cross,
Engraving with added hand-colour. Printed
on watermarked laid
paper. Name of subjects inscribed in contemporary script on bottom of
image. Pretty perfect mounted £90 inc**larger than
normal image
|
'A view from
Oriel College, Oxford' (John Eveleigh
by
and published by Robert
Dighton hand-coloured
etching, published December 1808 London:
Published by Robert Dighton, Charg. Cross,
Engraving
with added hand-colour. Printed on watermarked laid paper. Name of
subjects inscribed in contemporary script on bottom of image.
Pretty perfect £80 inc
|
'Sell and repent' (Thomas
Hall)
by
and published by Robert
Dighton hand-coloured
etching, published December 1809 London:
Published by Robert Dighton, Charg.
Cross,
Engraving with added hand-colour. Printed on watermarked laid
paper. Name of subjects inscribed in contemporary script on
bottom of image. Pretty perfect £80
inc
|
'A noble duke, taken on the Steyne at Brighton' (Augustus Henry
Fitzroy, 3rd Duke of Grafton)
by
and published by
Robert Dighton hand-coloured etching, published December
1809 London:
Published by
Robert Dighton, Charg. Cross, Engraving with added hand-colour.
Printed on watermarked laid paper. Name of subjects inscribed in
contemporary script on bottom of image. Pretty perfect £80
inc
|
A gloomy day, taken on the Steyne at Brighton' (Matthew
Day))
by
and published by
Robert Dighton hand-coloured etching, published December
1809 London:
Published by
Robert Dighton, Charg. Cross, Engraving with added hand-colour.
Printed on watermarked laid paper. Name of subjects inscribed in
contemporary script on bottom of image. Pretty perfect £80
inc
|
A view taken from Portland Place, Bath' (Mr
Banks)
by
and published by
Robert Dighton hand-coloured etching, published December
1809 London:
Published by
Robert Dighton, Charg. Cross, Engraving with added hand-colour.
Printed on watermarked laid paper. Name of subjects inscribed in
contemporary script on bottom of image. Pretty perfect £80
inc
|
'Discharg'd Fifer' (James Duff, 4th Earl of
Fife)
by
and published by
Robert Dighton hand-coloured etching, published December
1809 London:
Published by
Robert Dighton, Charg. Cross, Engraving with added hand-colour.
Printed on watermarked laid paper. Name of subjects inscribed in
contemporary script on bottom of image. Pretty perfect £80
inc
|
A view taken from Chatham Row, Bath' (John
Shepherd)
by
and published
by Robert Dighton hand-coloured etching, published
December 1809 London:
Published by Robert Dighton, Charg. Cross, Engraving with
added hand-colour. Printed on watermarked laid paper. Name of
subjects inscribed in contemporary script on bottom of image.
Pretty has been in mount some sunning to the edhe would mount
out £55 inc
|
'Kangkook' (Sir Henry Frederick Cooke)
by
and published
by Richard Dighton, reissued by Thomas McLean
hand-coloured etching, published December 1819 Engraving with
added hand-colour.
Printed on watermarked laid paper. Name of subjects inscribed in
contemporary script on bottom of image £80
inc
|
'Kangkook' (Sir Henry Frederick
Cooke)
by and published by
Richard Dighton, reissued by Thomas McLean
hand-coloured etching, published December 1819, Engraving with added
hand-colour. Printed
on watermarked laid paper. Name of subjects inscribed in
contemporary script on bottom of image light age soiling
framed
£60 inc
|
'A Walk from the WEST END TO LOMBARD STREET . . . .. unattributed
not in npg or other archives
sorry
by and
published by
Richard Dighton,
reissued by Thomas McLean hand-coloured etching, published
December 1819,
Engraving
with added hand-colour. Printed on watermarked laid paper.
Name of subjects inscribed in contemporary script on bottom
of
image some
age soiling
framed £60
inc
|
'A
view taken from the Town
Hall, Oxford' (Sir William Elias Taunton)
2
by
and published
by Robert Dighton hand-coloured etching, published
December 1809 London:
Published by Robert Dighton, Charg. Cross, Engraving with
added hand-colour. Printed on watermarked laid paper. Name of
subjects inscribed in contemporary script on bottom of image.
Pretty perfect £80
inc
|
A
view of the telegraph, Cambridge (Richard
Vaughan('Hell Fire Dick')
by
and published by
Robert Dighton hand-coloured etching, published December
1809 London:
Published by
Robert Dighton, Charg. Cross, Engraving with added hand-colour.
Printed on watermarked laid paper. Name of subjects inscribed in
contemporary script on bottom of image. Pretty perfect £80
inc
|
'Agamemnon
a great general, taken on
the Steyne at
Brighton'
(William
Dalrymple)by and
published by Robert Dighton
hand-coloured etching, published 1 January 1804 10 7/8 in. x 8 in.
(276 mm x 202 mm) plate size; 11 1/4 in. x 8 1/4 in. (286 mm x 208
mm) paper size.. Framed glazed unopened but appears to be free and
with good borders.£95 inc***Pic slightly distorted taken
through
mucky glass, sorry !*
|
'A
contract'
(Mr
Damington; Mr Tremloe)
by and published by Richard
Dighton hand-coloured etching, published 1818 9 3/8 in. x 5 1/2 in.
(238 mm x 140 mm) plate size; 14 3/8 in. x 10 in. (366 mm x 253 mm)
paper size.Framed glazed unopened but appears to be free and with
good borders.£105 inc some age toning to the paper***Pic
slightly
distorted taken through mucky glass, sorry !*
|
'A
view of Devonshire'
(William
Cavendish, 6th
Duke of Devonshire) by and
published by Richard Dighton, reissued by Thomas McLean
hand-coloured etching, published October 1820 12 1/2 in. x 7 5/8
in. (318 mm x 194 mm) plate size; 15 3/8 in. x 9 5/8 in. (391 mm x
244 mm) paper size.Framed glazed unopened but appears to be free
and with good borders.£105 inc some age toning to the
paper***Pic
slightly distorted taken through mucky glass, sorry !*
|
'They'll
be done, we are obliged to
thee
(Samuel
Gurney) by and
published by Richard Dighton
hand-coloured etching, published 1820 10 in. x 7 1/4 in. (253 mm x
183 mm) plate size; 15 1/8 in. x 10 5/8 in. (384 mm x 269 mm) paper
size.Framed glazed unopened but appears to be free and with good
borders.£105 inc some age toning to the paper***Pic slightly
distorted taken through mucky glass, sorry !*
|
A
view of the telegraph, Cambridge'
(Richard
Vaughan('Hell Fire
Dick')) by and published by Robert
Dighton hand-coloured etching, published May 1809 10 5/8 in. x 7
3/4 in. (271 mm x 198 mm) plate size; 10 1/4 in. x 12 3/8 in. (260
mm x 315 mm) paper size.Framed glazed unopened but appears to be
free and with good borders.£105 inc some age toning to the
paper***Pic slightly distorted taken through mucky glass, sorry
!*
|
'A
view taken from the Town Hall,
Oxford'
(Sir
William Elias Taunton)
by Robert Dighton hand-coloured
etching, published 1 May 1807 11 in. x 8 1/8 in. (278 mm x 205 mm)
plate size; 13 5/8 in. x 10 1/2 in. (347 mm x 268 mm) paper size .
Framed glazed unopened but appears to be free and with good
borders.£105 inc some age toning to the paper***Pic slightly
distorted taken through mucky glass, sorry !*
|
'A
view of Westmoreland, or an
impression of the Privy
Seal'
(John
Fane, 10th Earl of
Westmorland) by and published by
Richard Dighton, reissued by Thomas McLean hand-coloured etching,
published July 1821 11 3/4 in. x 6 7/8 in. (298 mm x 175 mm) plate
size; 14 5/8 in. x 9 3/4 in. (371 mm x 248 mm) paper size.Framed
glazed unopened but appears to be free and with good
borders.£105
inc some age toning to the paper***Pic slightly distorted taken
through mucky glass, sorry !*
|
'The
Late Right Revd Dr
Samuel Horsley, Lord Bishop of St
Asaph' (Samuel Horsley)
Samuel
Horsley (1733-1806), Bishop
of St Asaph; Secretary of the
Royal Society
by
and published by Robert Dighton
hand-coloured
etching, published
December 1809 (1802) London:
Published by Robert
Dighton, Charg. Cross, Engraving with added hand-colour.
Printed on watermarked laid paper. Name of subjects inscribed
in contemporary script on bottom of image. Pretty perfect £80
inc framed
|
|
'A
view from Merton
College, Oxford' (Samuel Kilner)
Samuel
Kilner (1732-1815),
Fellow of Merton College,
Oxford
by
and published by Robert
Dighton hand-coloured etching,
published June 1808. London:
Published by Robert Dighton, Charg. Cross, Engraving with added
hand-colour. Printed on watermarked laid paper. Name of subjects
inscribed in contemporary script on bottom of image. Pretty perfect £80
inc framed
|
'A
view from Jesus College,
Oxford'
(possibly
David Hughes; formerly
called John Hughes)
by
and published by Robert
Dighton hand-coloured etching,
published May 1808. Published
by
Robert Dighton, Charg. Cross, Engraving with added hand-colour.
Printed on watermarked laid paper. Name of subjects inscribed in
contemporary script on bottom of image. Pretty perfect £35
inc trimmed page no title trimmed to image
|
'Mother
Goose of Oxford'
(Rebecca Howse (née
Wildgoose))
Rebecca
Howse (née
Wildgoose) (1737-1818), Flower seller of
Oxford . Rebecca Wildgoose, an ex-procuress, became blind and
married a William Howse who then led her around Oxford selling
flowers. She was a well known character, affectionately called
'Flora' by the students.
by
and published by Robert Dighton
hand-coloured etching,
published July 1807 £45 full page discoloured from back board
|
|
'A
View from St Aldates
Oxford'
. In
the walkway it says 'Drawn,
Etch d & Pub d by Dighton
Chan & Crofs Jan 1808'. 10 5/8 in. x 7 7/8 in. (270 mm x 199
mm) plate size; 13 1/4 in. x 10 1/2 in. (337 mm x 266 mm) paper
size £60 full page a few minor
discolourations
|
|
Edmund
Kean
by
and published by Richard Dighton
hand-coloured etching,
published 1818 £40 inc
|
|
