Thomas Stothard Esq. R.A. (1755-1834) (after)
William Henry Worthington (act. c.1819-1839) (engraver)
John Gilpin
William Pickering and William Henry Worthington, 57 Chancery Lane, London: January 1st, 1825
Black and white engraving, proof edition
13.75 x 25.5 inches, sheet
9.5 x 21 inches, image
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John Gilpin
After Thomas Stothard
After Thomas Stothard
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The comic poem "The Diverting History of John Gilpin" relates the tale of a linen draper named John Gilpin and his anniversary holiday, beset with misfortune from start to finish. This traditional tale was told to the British poet William Cowper (1731-1800) by his friend Lady Austen, and captured his imagination. He set the story to a standard ballad measure to be sung to the established tune of "Chevy Chaise." Cowper's version was first published anonymously in 1782 and within a few years it was hugely popular and Cowper finally admitted authorship, making him a household name. One London printseller alone is said to have sold 6,000 copies. Cowper, who also wrote a translation of the works of Homer and whose poems influenced later Romantic poets such as Wordsworth, hoped that the poem would draw attention to his more serious works and also answer critics who accused him of lacking a sense of humor. However, he came to resent being best known for "John Gilpin," and later in his life refused to have the poem read in his presence.
From 1785 to the present day, the poem has been reprinted in more than one hundred editions and has been translated into several languages. This print is after a painting by Thomas Stothard, a popular, prolific and successful English painter and book illustrator, highly regarded by such contemporaries as Thomas Lawrence and Walter Scott. He studied at the Royal Academy. From the beginning of his career, book illustration was his main area of activity. Together with his friends and near contemporaries, William Blake and John Flaxman, Stothard developed an austere, linear style of draughtsmanship, although his illustrations tended more toward realism. This print was engraved and co-published by British artist William Henry Worthington.
Reference:
"The Diverting History of John Gilpin," The Cowper and Newton Museum. http://www.mkheritage.co.uk/cnm/htmlpages/gilpin.html