Middlesex Prints

9x7 cm

Beach Hill, the seat of _ Paris Esq.^r Hadley, Middlesex
Drawn & Engraved by I Hassell.
London: Pub.1.March 1817 by I.Hassell.

Aquatint in original hand colour by John Hassell published in a two volume work: Picturesque Rides and Walks, with Excursions by Water, Thirty miles round the Metropolis...London, John Hassell 1817-1818.

John Hassell (1767?-1825) was an English landscape painter, engraver, illustrator writer, publisher, drawing master, friend and biographer of fellow artist George Morland.
The work included 120 aquatint engravings. Aquatint is an etching process using powdered rosin to create tones on the copperplate which, when hand coloured with watercolour washes after printing, gave the effect of a watercolour painting. The small two volume work was expensive to produce and sales were limited, the work and surviving plates are scarce today.

Beech Hill Park, Hadley Wood, built in 1781 for Francis Russell (1740-1795), surveyor to the Duchy of Lancaster when Enfield Chase was broken up. It was originally known as Russell Mansion. Archibald Paris purchased the property in 1800 and took up residence from 1805 to 1834.

Fingermarking to lower margin.