c.1850 SHAKSPERE\'S WORKS VOL III HISTORIES w/ ILLUST BY MEADOWS STEEL PLATE ENGR For Sale

[SHAKESPEARE, ILLUSTRATIONS]

SHAKESPEARE, William (Author)

MEADOWS, Kenny (Illustrations)

\"THE COMPLETE WORKS OF SHAKSPERE: Revised from the Original Editions.....\" (Histories)

London. The London Printing & Publishing Compaany. ND (c. 1850).Early printing. Bound in later sturdy buckram with gilt title. Minor soil and staining to the prelims and some limited pages. Overall, very good.

FEATURES THE FINE ENGRAVINGS BY KENNY MEADOWS.

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Joseph KennyMeadows, (November 1790–August 1874) better known as Kenny Meadows, was aBritish caricaturist and illustrator. He is best known for the drawings that hecontributed to Punch and for his illustrations of scenes from Shakespeare\'splays. Much of his work was drawn in a humorous bohemian style. He was wellknown for the quality of his illustrations, although the critical reception ofhis work was often mixed.

Meadows\' firstmajor project was Heads of the People in 1840. His acquaintance with DouglasJerrold allowed him to become the illustrator of the project. Othercontributors to the book included William Makepeace Thackeray and Leigh Hunt.He also contributed to The Illuminated Magazine, which was edited by Jerrold aswell. In addition, he drew several illustrations for the Christmas editions ofIllustrated London News.

Meadows became aprominent artist due to his work for Punch. He contributed fourteen totaldrawings to the paper. They were published in 1843 and 1844, appearing in thefirst through the seventh volumes. He worked very closely with John Leech whilethey were employed there. At the time that he first began working for Punch hewas one of its oldest contributors.

William PowellFrith once described him as \"perhaps the best\" of Punch\'s earlyillustrators. Other critics have stated that the quality the work that heproduced varied. His drawings were hailed by some commentators more thoughtfulthan the typical burlesque treatments the subjects of his drawings oftenreceived. Others have faulted his work for a lack of humour and inventiveness.He was often noted, however, for the youthful enthusiasm he had toward drawing.

His drawingsoften included the depiction of a butterfly at the mouth of a cannon, whichsymbolisied peace. A similar design was used by Sir Edwin Henry Landseer in apainting, and some have attributed this similarity to Meadows\' influence onLandseer.

Meadows oftenread Shakespeare and memorised many passages. He published a volume ofillustrated scenes from Shakespeare in 1843. Though he and several of hisfriends considered this work to be his masterpiece, some reviewers criticisedhis interpretations of several characters. It was particularly well received inGermany, however. He continued working on depictions of scenes from Shakespearefor his entire life.

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