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1 of 253523 objects
Joshua Kirby (1716-74)
The Perspective of Architecture...a work entirely new, deduced from the principles of Dr Brook Taylor... v.1/...by Joshua Kirby. 1761
RCIN 1150778
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Kirby was born in Suffolk and initially worked there as a painter and topographer. With the encouragement of William Hogarth he became a specialist in perspective - particularly for architecture - and in 1754 published (by subscription) his first manual on the art of perspective, based on the work of the mathematician Brook Taylor (1685-1731). Shortly before the book’s publication Kirby was made an honorary member of the St Martin’s Lane Academy, where he lectured on perspective. Through Bute’s influence, in 1756 he was appointed ‘Drawing Master’ to the future George III, in which capacity he gave lessons in both landscape and architectural perspective. Following his accession, the King continued to support Kirby and his son, William. As Joint Clerks of the Works at Richmond and Kew Palaces from 1761 they were close to both the King and to Chambers, for whose publication on Kew the elder Kirby supplied three designs. Later in the same decade the King funded William’s extensive architectural studies in Italy.
This is the first edition of Kirby’s The Perspective of Architecture. When it was issued in 1761, it was made clear that the publication had been ‘Begun by command of His Present Majesty, when Prince of Wales, by Joshua Kirby, Designer in Perspective to His Majesty’. The work was dedicated to the King, who had evidently funded the publication. In addition to a celebrated frontispiece by Hogarth, it included two plates made on the basis of designs supplied by the King himself. George III’s close involvement with the publication is further indicated by the text of his Architectural Treatise (in the Royal Archives, reference GEO/ADD/32/1742-1760), which is the equivalent of a first draft of Kirby’s 'Description and Use of a New Instrument called the Architectonic Sector' found at pp. 1-16 of the letterpress volume.Provenance
From the library of George III at Windsor
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Creator(s)
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Other number(s)
ESTC : English Short Title Catalogue Citation Number – ESTC T133638
