Bunbury

H. W. Bunbury
The son of a baronet, his first etching was done while he was still at school. After a few original etchings done at this time he was by 1772 having his drawings etched by others; in particular by Bretherton.
His contemporaries frequently placed him in the same category as Gillray and Rowlandson, and while we may not include him in quite such an elevated position today, he was a major talent and a leading amateur.
While at Westminster school, and later at Cambridge University he etched a few small plates himself. Early impressions of his original works are scarce. Later impressions on wove paper are less desirable.

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	H. Bunbury. POSTIGLIONE INGLESE. Published April 1772 by J. Bretherton No.134 New Bond Street. 6 x 8¼. Uncoloured on laid paper with good margins. B. M. 4739. £50.
	H. Bunbury. Untitled etching of a French Postillion. Published c 1770. 3 ¼ x 4 ¾. Uncoloured. Minor handling marks with very small margins outside the plate mark and on good early laid paper. B.M. 4746. £160.
	H. Bunbury. Untitled etching of a French Postillion holding a whip. Published c 1770. 4 x 5 ¾.Uncoloured. Slight marks and with very small margins showing outside the plate mark. On good early laid paper. B.M. 4743. £160.
	H. Bunbury. THE SALUTATION TAVERN. Published by Bretherton, March 20th 1773. 12 ½ x 9 ¼. Uncoloured; trimmed to the plate mark and on laid paper, with very slight crinkling of the paper. The two ‘Macaronis’ bow in extravagant greeting to each other. B.M. 4716.. £140.
	H. Bunbury. COURIER ANGLOIS. Published by Bretherton May 3rd 1774. 16 ¾ x 12. Uncoloured, trimmed almost to the plate mark on laid paper. This is another designed (‘del’) by Bunbury, etched, and published by Bretherton. Here the latter has produced a soft, almost lithographic feel to the image. Not in the B.M. although they have smaller examples of the same image. Thus B.M. 4736 is dated 1779 and is considerably smaller. £200.
	H. Bunbury. COURIER FRANCOIS. Published by Bretherton, originally as a companion to the above. This is a slightly later issue on Whatman paper with a watermark of 1816. 17 x 12. Small margins on wove paper. Small hole lower right corner, on the plate mark. Early if not original colour. See B.M. 5056 for a smaller version of this image. £125.
	H. Bunbury. A MILITIA MEETING. Published 2nd January 1773 by Bretherton. 15 ½ x 10 ½. On early laid paper with small margins. This satire is coloured, but in general the Bunbury’s of this period were published uncoloured, and although the date of the colour on this example is unknown it is somewhat later than the publication date. (See the short article in Catalogue 28 on the problems with early colour). B.M. 5759 £120.
	H. Bunbury. A HAIL STORM. 13 ¾ x 9 ¾. Original colour on paper with a watermark of 1815. This example is probably published by Palser. He was a small London publisher who seems to have produced a number of satires based on the designs of Bunbury. The first dated example of Palser’s work that I have come across had a date of 1812. Not in the B.M. (See catalogue 26 for an interesting collection of Palser’s work). £150.
	H. Bunbury. NEWMARKET. A Shot at a Pigeon. Published 1st March 1777. (By Bretherton). 10¾ x 9¾. Uncoloured on laid paper with reasonable margins. Set in Newmarket, and it seems as though bets are being offered to the young rustic. B. M. 4719. £80.
	Caricature after Bunbury. The Judgment of Paris. No publication details given, but probably issued by Palser, c.1815. 13¾ x 9½. Original colour and large margins, with a watermark of 1815. A re working of one of Bunbury’s first etchings. Not in the B. M. £145.
	Caricature after Bunbury. Courier Francois. Published by J. Bretherton No. 134 New Bond Street. 16¾ x 11¾. Original colour and trimmed to the engraved area. Old vertical fold with some marks and creases. This version not in the B.M. £60.
	H. Bunbury. EVERY SOUS BEGAD! Published 10th June 1774. (By Bretherton). 7¼ x 9¼. Uncoloured on laid paper with good margins. The B. M. catalogue suggests that the sour expression may be because he has lost all his money on the races. B. M. 4720. £50.
	H. Bunbury. POSTIGLIIONE GERMANICO. Published April 1772 by J. Bretherton No. 134 New Bond Street. 6 x 8¼. Uncoloured on laid paper with good margins. B. M. 4740. £50.
	H. Bunbury. NEWMARKET A Shot at a Hawk. Published 1st March 1777. (By Bretherton). 10¼ x 9¾. Uncoloured on laid paper with small margins. Set in Newmarket during the races, and the central figure is writing down a bet. B. M. 4717. £80.
	H. Bunbury. The Damnation of Obadiah. Pub …..30. Jan. 1773 by J. Bretherton No. 134. New Bond Street. 15 x 10. Uncoloured and trimmed to the image. One of a series, which illustrated ‘Tristam Shandy’. Dr Slop is the seated, fat central figure. Mr Shandy is in the dressing gown, and Uncle Toby point to the map of Flanders. This is a variation on the B. M. example. In the B. M. satire, Dr Slop points at the leg and back of Obadiah. Here only an empty chair is shown, so perhaps this is an early unfinished state. See B. M. 5214. £70.
	H. Bunbury. The Overthrow Of Dr. Slop. Published as the Act directs 3rd February 1773 by J. Bretherton No. 194 New Bond Street. 15½ x 10½. Uncoloured on laid paper with small margins. One of a series of engravings to illustrate ‘Tristram Shandy’. Obadiah is mounted, and Dr Slop is flat on his back beneath a signpost ‘To Shandy Hall’. B. M. 5215. £100.
	General caricature after Bunbury. The Siege of Namur by Capt. Shandy & Corporal Trim. No publication line is present on this print, probably c.1820. 13¾ x 10. Original colour and good margins, on paper with a watermark of 1817. Old diagonal fold going through Uncle Toby’s head. This is a copy of the Bunbury image published by Bretherton in 1773 and is one of a series illustrating ‘Tristram Shandy’. Trim holds the pick axe and marches in front of his master. Shandy Hall can be seen on the left behind the ‘Gate of St Nicolas’. See B. M. 5213 for the 1773 Bretherton engraving. £100
	A General caricature after Bunbury. A Family Picture. No publication line, it is probably published by Palser c.1815. 13¾ x 9¾. Original colour on paper with a watermark of 1815. Reasonable margins and some marks, but mainly outside the image on the right hand side. Not in the B. M. £185.
	A General caricature after Bunbury. Sunday Evening and (Smoking Club). No publication line present. Coloured at the time of issue. Two small (10 x 7 and 6½ x 5) on one sheet of paper (10½ x 16½), which has a watermark of 1828. Not in the B. M. £90.
	H. Bunbury. A CAMP SCENE. (Published June 25th 1784 by C. White, Plimlico). 15 x 11¼. Uncoloured and on laid paper. Trimmed just outside the image, and just below the title. Slight marks. One of the many satires relating to camp scenes and the visitors to them. B. M. 6727. £75.
	H. Bunbury. THE BATTLE OF THE CATAPLASM. (Published February 1773 by Bretherton). 15¼ x 10. Uncoloured and on laid paper. Trimmed onto the plate mark on three sides and just below the title at the bottom. One of Bunbury’s illustrations to ‘Tristram Shandy’. Dr Slop and Susannah are exchanging abuse whilst the infant Tristram lies in the cradle. B. M. 5216. £75
	H. Bunbury. CORPORAL FEAR. (Published November 1st 1781 by R. Wilkinson No. 58 Cornhill). 11¾ x 13. Uncoloured on laid paper and trimmed as shown. Vertical fold on the right, going through the signpost. This stipple engraving has been in an album thus the odd trimming of the image. A highwayman uses a candlestick to hold up a couple that have been driving a two-wheeled gig. B. M. 5918. £65.
	H. Bunbury. CORPORAL FEAR. Published November 1st 1781 by R. Wilkinson, No. 53. Cornhill. 12¾ x 14½. Uncoloured on laid paper with good margins. Stipple engraving. Although using a candlestick the highwayman seems to be successful. ‘In corporal fear’ was part of the phraseology of an indictment for highway robbery. B. M. 5918. £125.
	H. Bunbury. MORNING OR THE MAN OF TASTE. (No publisher’s line given, but probably Palser c. 1815). 13¾ x 9¾. Original colour with reasonable margins on paper with a watermark of 1815. Creasing lower left corner just outside the image. Not in the B. M. £125.
	H. Bunbury. THE RELIEF. Published October 21st 1781 by W. Dickinson, Engraver No. 158 New Bond Street. 14 x 12. Uncoloured on laid paper and trimmed onto/within the plate mark Very slight staining centre top and laid onto a backing card. Two jeering men point at the soldiers they are probably meant to be representing the ‘Gordon Rioters’. Camps were established in parts of London during the riots where they remained for several weeks. B. M. 5924. £75.
	H. Bunbury. A CAMP SCENE. Published June 25th 1784 by C. White, Stafford Row Plimlico. 15 x 12. Uncoloured. Thread margins at the lower edge and trimmed to the border elsewhere with some marks where it has been laid onto a backing card. One of the many camp scenes, which were a popular subject for satire. B. M. 6727. £50.
	H. Bunbury. A BAND OF SAVOYARDS. Published September 20th 1785 by W. Dickenson, engraver and print seller No 158 Bond Street. 19½ x 16. Uncoloured on laid paper with very small margins. Water (?) stains at edge side, but outside the engraved area. Some marks where it has been laid onto a backing card. A scene of travelling musicians with an appreciative couple on the right. Not in the B. M. £95.
	H. Bunbury. THE X.MAS ACADEMICS. A COMBINATION GAME AT WHIST. Published as the Act directs 20th June. 1778 by J. Bretherton No. 134. New Bond Street. 15¾ x 10½. Uncoloured on laid paper with small margins. Set in a college combination room four academics are playing whist. A portrait on the wall is of ‘Archbishop Singe.’ B. M. 4728. £150
	H. Bunbury. A VIEW ON THE PONT NEUF AT PARIS. Published by Darly 39 Strand October 1st 1771. 14 x10. Uncoloured on laid paper with good margins. A larger version of this was published by Harris, which also had a date of 1771. B. M. 4918. £90.