View of Fountain Court, Middle Temple, City of London
London: J.Boydell, 1753. Engraving with hand coloring in watercolor on white laid paper, laid down to a modern wove paper matrix, 12 x 17 3/4 inches (304 x 450 mm), narrow margins. The paper matrix has yellowed to a moderate degree, however the hand coloring is fresh and extensive. The charming street scene includes a boy playing with a hoop and a dog, and a woman in a sedan chair.
The grounds of Middle Temple are a quiet sanctuary off a busy Fleet Street. Nestled within the surroundings of Fountain Court is the Inn’s fountain, which has stood there since its original construction in 1681. At the time of its construction it was the first permanent water fountain in London, said to shoot jets of water up to thirty feet in the air. Also the site of a former brothel, Fountain Court was the scene of a fabled robbery. The famous highwayman Tom Cox is said to have robbed Madam Box, the brothel keeper of Fountain Court. Madam Box warned Cox that if he robbed her, she would see him hanged, but he took her money anyway. He was in fact hanged for highway robbery in 1690.
Item number: 1224
Price: $250.00
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