A.M.s. regarding the death of his brother [Luigi]

1810. Brompton: June 19, 1810.

Oblong 12mo, beautifully written in copperplate script on one side of the page, bordered in black. Very good.

§ A sad but interesting association item, being the thanks (in the third person) sent by Schiavonetti to Benjamin West on the death of his brother Luigi, the engraver of Blake’s The Grave illustrations and perhaps the most renowned commercial engraver of his day. West was of course the famous American artist, founder (with Reynolds) and second president of the Royal Academy. The Schiavonettis would have been well known to him; the note reads: “Mr. N. Schiavonetti respectfully returns thanks (truncated) to Benjamin West Esq. for the last mark of respect paid to the remains of his lamented brother.” Luigi died on June 7, 1810, leaving unfinished his work on Stothard’s Canterbury Pilgrims, which was completed by Niccolo to compete with Blake’s monumental engraving on the same subject. (Inventory #: 5361)