Webb, Philip Carteret, 1700-1770, A description of the library of the Escorial , circa 1754
- Title(s):
- A description of the library of the Escorial : extracted from a book printed at Madrid, Anno 1657, intituled, "Descripcion breve del monasterio de S. Lorenzo el Real del Escorial." Por el P.F. Francisco, de los Santos / translated by Philip Carteret Webb.
- Published/Created:
- Great Britain, circa 1754.
- Physical Description:
- 1 v. ([4], 26 p., [3] folded leaves of plates) : ill. ; 23 cm.
- Holdings:
- Rare Books and ManuscriptsN3418 .W43 1754Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection[Request]
- Copyright Status:
- Copyright Not Evaluated
- Full Orbis Record:
- http://hdl.handle.net/10079/bibid/7729528
- Classification:
- Archives & Manuscripts
- Notes:
- Philip Carteret Webb (1702-1770), barrister, politician, antiquary, and book collector, became a member of the London Society of Antiquaries in 1747, and as its lawyer, was responsible for securing the incorporation of the Society in 1751. His patron, Lord Chancellor Hardwicke, made him secretary of bankrupts in the court of chancery, a post which he retained until 1766.
From the library of Lord Hardwicke.
Bound in gilt stamped red roan, with gilt edges.
An unpublished manuscript translation by Philip Carteret Webb of extracts from Andrés Ximenez's Descripción breve del monasterio de S. Lorenzo el Real del Escorial. Although the title page is undated, the second leaf bears an inscription to Philip Yorke, Lord Chancellor Hardwicke, dated 1754. The title and dedication leaves are carefully inked to resemble letterpress printing. The 26 pages of text are written in a neat fair copy, with consistent wide margins, page numbers, a head-piece, and Webb's occasional marginalia and footnotes. Following the text are three large pen and ink illustrations of the library, with gray and pink wash, mounted on blank leaves. The illustrations consist of a floor plan and two detailed elevations of the interior of the Escorial Library; the elevations include the wall paintings by Pellegrino Pellegrini and Bartolomé Carducho, as well as the book cases.The illustrations appear to be the work of a skillful architect or draftsman; it's not clear whether they are by Webb or an uncredited artist.
A marginal note on page 1 indicates that the present excerpt begins at Chapter 15, page 85, of the original work. This portion of text offers a brief description of the layout of the library, including its lighting, paving, and book cases. There follows a lengthy commentary on Pellegrino's frescoes, which depict the seven liberal arts: Rhetoric, Dialectic, Music, Grammar, Arithmetic, Geometry and Astronomy. The remainder of the text describes the books and manuscripts present in the library, which consists primarily of religious works and writings concerning antiquity. - Subject Terms:
- Carducho, Bartolomé, 1560–1608.Escorial.Escorial. Real Biblioteca.Hardwicke Library -- Provenance.Hardwicke, Philip Yorke, Earl of, 1690–1764 -- Provenance.Hardwicke, Philip Yorke, Earl of, 1690–1764.Libraries -- Spain -- San Lorenzo del Escorial.Libraries.Library shelving -- Spain -- San Lorenzo del Escorial.Monasteries -- Spain -- San Lorenzo del Escorial.Mural painting and decoration.Pellegrini, Pellegrino, 1527–1596.Webb, Philip Carteret, 1700–1770.Wimpole Hall (England) Library -- Provenance.
- Form/Genre:
- Architectural drawings.
Floor plans.
Elevations.
Ink drawings.
Watercolors. - Export:
- XML