Preview
Creation Date
Potentially 1970s–1980s (reproduction), December 1787 (original)
Geography
London, England (original)
Culture
English
Medium
Etching and aquatint (original)
Dimensions
With frame: 19 7/8 × 25 7/8 × 1 1/8 in. (50.5 × 65.8 × 3 cm)
Without frame: 14 13/16 × 20 in. (37.7 × 50.7 cm)
Credit Line
Long-term Loan from the Estate of Boris Blick, 2015
Accession Number
2015.59
Provenance
According to Professor Sarah Blick, this print was purchased by Boris Blick from Stagecoach Antiques (now closed) in Akron, Ohio.
Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings
Beneath image, lower left: "Drawn by E. Dayes"; lower right, "Engrav'd by R. Pollard & F. Jukes."
In bottom margin, center: "To his GRACE FRANCIS, DUKE OF | BEDFORD, MARQUIS OF TAVISTOCK &c &c. / THIS VIEW OF | BLOOMSBURY SQUARE. / Is with the greatest respect inscribed by his | Graces obedient & obliged Servants / Robᵗ. Pollard, & Fraˢ. Jukes" [The mark "|" indicates where the words are divided by the coat of arms of the Duke of Bedford]; lower left: "The Outline Stetch'd by R.Thew, with an Instrument."; lower center London Pubᵈ. Decʳ. 1787 by R. Pollard Braynes Row. Spa Fields & F. Jukes Howland Street."
The print has been taped on the reverse of a Frederic Remington print, "The Scout: Friends or Enemies?," depicting a lone figure on horseback looking over a white plain to a distant encampment. Words on this image:
Within image, lower left: "©A.A. Inc."; lower right, "Frederic Remington"
Beneath image, lower left: "Printed un U.S.A."; lower center, "THE SCOUT: FRIENDS OR ENEMIES? / Frederic Remington / 1861–1909"; lower right, "Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute"
Creator Biography
Edward Dayes, English, 1763–1804 (drawer of original).
Robert Pollard, English, c.1755–1838 (engraver and publisher of original).
Francis Jukes, English, 1745–1812 (engraver of original).
Robert Thew, English, 1758–1802 (outline sketcher of original).
Description
This image shows Bloomsbury Square at the height of its popularity. Men and women walk about in the day's fashions; cows represent the pastoral atmosphere that attracted wealthy inhabitants to the neighborhood. The print was dedicated to Francis Russel, 5th Duke of Bedford, who was instrumental in developing Bloomsbury and the surrounding area as fashionable places to live. As Jane Austen writes in her novel Emma, the Bloomsbury area was "very different from almost all the rest. We are so very airy!"
Claire Berman ('16)