"He went to Tonson," illustration to "The Noble Paton"

"He went to Tonson," illustration to "The Noble Paton"

Edwin Austin Abbey

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Abbey moved to England in 1878 to research and illustrate poems devoted to historical themes for Harper's. This is one of a series that responds to "The Noble Patron," gently satirical verse by Austin Dobson that imagine the London experiences of Dick Dovecote, a Wiltshire youth and aspiring writer. As his funds dwindle, Dick takes a manuscript to the famous publisher Jacob Tonson the Elder (1655–1736) only to hear that unwelcome changes will have to be made before it can be accepted. The related verse explains: By this his purse was running low, And he must either print or go. He went to Tonson. Tonson said– Well! Tonson hummed and shook his head; Deplor'd the times; abus'd the Town; But thought–at length–it might go down; With aid, of course, of Elzevir [an antiquated type style], And Prologue to a Prince, or Peer. Dick winced at this, for adulation Was scarce that candid youth's vocation: Nor did he deem his rustic lays Required a Coronet for Bays. The image was reproduced as a wood engraving in Harper's "New Montly Magazine," vol. 79 (October 1889), p. 663.

Drawings and Prints

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

"He went to Tonson," illustration to "The Noble Paton""He went to Tonson," illustration to "The Noble Paton""He went to Tonson," illustration to "The Noble Paton""He went to Tonson," illustration to "The Noble Paton""He went to Tonson," illustration to "The Noble Paton"

The Department’s vast collection of works on paper comprises approximately 21,000 drawings, 1.2 million prints, and 12,000 illustrated books created in Europe and the Americas from about 1400 to the present day. Since its foundation in 1916, the Department has been committed to collecting a wide range of works on paper, which includes both pieces that are incredibly rare and lauded for their aesthetic appeal, as well as material that is more popular, functional, and ephemeral. The broad scope of the department’s collecting encourages questions of connoisseurship as well as those pertaining to function and context, and demonstrates the vital role that prints, drawings, and illustrated books have played throughout history.