LEWIS Matthew Gregory Lewis’s Sketches of Spain & Spanish Character, made during his Tour in that Country, in the years 1833-4. Drawn on Stone from his original Sketches entirely by himself.

Travel in Aquatint and Lithography 1770-1860 from the Library of J. R. Abbey … A bibliographical catalogue, volume I (1956, repr. 1972, 1991), no. 149, p. 129; R.V

First edition.

A very fine copy in contemporary colouring. The plates show country people, smugglers, bullfighters, friars or buildings (churches, convents, squares, arenas, a posada) – mostly in Andalucia (Granada, Seville, Sierra Nevada, Ronda, Gibraltar) but also in Madrid, Toledo and Segovia. The title-plate vignette shows an arena after a bull-fight. The List of Subjects gives also the names of the then owners of the original sketches.

Following his Spanish tour Lewis not only published this book of lithographs and Lewis's Sketches and Drawings of the Alhambra (1835) but also exhibited between 1833 and 1838 many watercolours of Spain at the Royal Academy and at the Old Watercolour Society.

According to the advertisement tipped-in between the front endpapers of the Royal Academy's copy, as well as being published in Imperial Folio (at £4. 4s.) copies were also available 'Coloured and Mounted … in a Portfolio' (at £10. 10s).

Strong spotting throughout.