The Peter Benchley Collection: Jaws, A Life of Writing, A Legacy of Ocean Conservation.
Lot 29:
Sold for: $60
Description
After William Hogarth (English, 1697-1764). Four hand-colored steel engravings, Times of the Day, circa 1860. The complete series comprises the individual scenes Morning, Noon, Evening, and Night. Each work is inscribed below the image with its title and the credit line From the Original Picture by Hogarth. The engraver for each scene is noted at the lower margin including J. Mollison for Morning, W. H. Worthington for Noon, E. E. Walker for Evening, and W. Radclyffe for Night. The prints are presented in individual cream-colored mats featuring hand-ruled ink borders. Sight: 7 3/4 x 6 1/4 in. Mat: 11 7/8 x 10 3/8 in.
Bought in London alongside the Cruikshank in Lot 24: the satirists of Samuel Johnson’s England, whose wit Peter admired as much as Johnson’s own.
From the personal collection of Peter Benchley (American, 1940–2006), acclaimed author of Jaws, accomplished diver, and prominent advocate for ocean and shark conservation.
Proceeds from the Peter Benchley Collection will benefit five ocean conservation organizations: Peter Benchley Ocean Awards, WildAid, Beneath the Waves, Blue Frontier and Environmental Defense Fund.
Condition report:
The set presents sharp impressions with vibrant hand-coloring. Overall light paper toning is visible across all four sheets. Scattered small foxing spots are present in the margins, most notably on the Morning plate. The mats show age-related yellowing. The prints are secured to the mats on the verso with non-archival yellowed adhesive tape.
Share this lot: