Observations on the Western Parts of England, Relative Chiefly to Picturesque Beauty. To which are Added, a Few Remarks on the Picturesque Beauty of the Isle of Wight.

London: T. Cadell & W. Davies, 1798.. FIRST EDITION. 8vo. (22 x 13 cm). pp. xvi + 359 + [1, adverts]. Contemporary full calf neatly rebacked preserving original spine, spine with gilt-ruled bands and gilt decoration, sides ruled with gilt border, red morocco label lettered in gilt, marbled endpapers, sprinkled edges. 18 tinted aquatinted plates. Ex libris Mr. J. Paul de Castro with his book label to front pastedown.* Spotting to some of the leaves, plates are in excellent and clean condition. Clergyman, schoolmaster and writer on aesthetics, William Gilpin (1724�1804) is best known for his works on the picturesque. In his Essay on Prints, published in 1768, he defined picturesque as 'a term expressive of that peculiar kind of beauty, which is agreeable in a picture'. First published in 1798, the present work is one of a series which records his reflections on the picturesque across British landscapes. It traces the journey he made, equipped with notebook and sketching materials, westwards from Wiltshire through Somerset and Devon to Cornwall, returning via Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. He describes his impressions of famous landmarks such as Stonehenge, Glastonbury Abbey, the River Tamar and Carisbrooke Castle, and includes several evocative reproductions of his pen-and-wash drawings. *J. Paul de Castro (1874-1944) was a prominent 18th Century scholar, who wrote on Henry Fielding and the Gordon Riots. (Abbey Scenery, 26).