The Society of Arts Distributing Its Premiums, London, 1804

This is an original antique copper engraving, uncolored, lettered "The Society of Arts distributing its premiums." The view shows the Society's great room during a prize giving. The president sits at a desk on a raised platform at the left, with officers beside him, while a large audience, many of them women in white gowns and bonnets, fills curved tiers of benches across the room.

The title is engraved in script below the image. The artist's credit "Pugh del." is at lower left and the engraver's credit "Engraved by Isaac Taylor" at lower right. Beneath the title is the imprint "Published Augt 11-1804 by Richard Phillips, 71 St Paul's Church Yard."

The plate comes from Modern London; Being the History and Present State of the British Metropolis, printed for Richard Phillips, No. 71, St. Paul's Church-Yard, by C. Mercier and Co., Northumberland-court, Strand, in 1804, and "illustrated with numerous copper plates." Many of its topographical views were drawn by Edward Pugh, a Welsh painter working in London, and engraved on copper by several London engravers, each of whom signed his own plate. The Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce awarded premiums for inventions and improvements, and its great room in the Adelphi was decorated with the series of large paintings by James Barry seen on the walls.

Of particular interest to anyone connected with the Royal Society of Arts or with the history of design and invention.

This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed.