James David Smillie

The Sun Dial

James David Smillie's "The Sun Dial" is an original etching created for "Essays of Elia", by Charles Lamb. It is a beautiful, pastoral composition which clearly compliments Lamb's writings and is a fine original example of the etched art by the 19th century American artist, James D. Smillie.

"What a dead thing is a clock, with its ponderous embowelments of lead and brass, its pert or solemn dullness of communication, compared with the simple altar-like structure, and silent heart-language of the old dial! It stood as the garden god of Christian gardens. Why is it almost everywhere vanished? If its business-use be superseded by more elaborate inventions, its moral uses, its beauty, might have pleaded for its continuance. It spoke of moderate labors, of pleasures not protracted after sunset, of temperance, and good hours. It was the primitive clock, the horologe of the first world. Adam could scarce have missed it in Paradise. It was the measure appropriate for sweet plants and flowers to spring by, for the birds to apportion their silver warblings by, for flocks to pasture and be led to fold by."

Charles Lamb, Essays of Elia

The Sun Dial

View other original works of art by the American artist, James David Smillie.

James David Smillie 'James D. Smillie' (New York City, 1833 - 1909)
#	Image	Title & Artist	Medium	Date	Notes	-
01.-		Detached Thoughts on Books by James David Smillie	Original Etching	1883 (Published, 1884)	Signed within the plate, "J. Smillie, June, 1883" to the upper right and bearing his number (24) to the lower left.	Sold
02.-		Lady of Cairo Visiting by James David Smillie	Original Etching	1881	Signed within the plate, "Smillie, N.Y., 1881" to the upper right and "F. A. Bridgman, 1880" to the lower right.
03.-		Old Cedars, Coast of Maine by James David Smillie	Original Etching	1880	Signed in the plate lower left corner by James David Smillie and titled by him to the lower right.	Sold
04.-		The Sun Dial by James David Smillie	Original Etching	1883 (Published, 1884)	Signed within the plate, "J. Smillie, 1883" to the lower left and bearing his number (22) to the lower right.	Sold
05.-		Up the Hill by James David Smillie	Original Etching	1879	Signed by James David Smillie with his characteristic signature in the lower left corner of the plate.	Sold

View other original works of art published by G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York for "Essays of Elia".

Charles Lamb's the "Essays of Elia"
#	Image	Title & Artist	Artist Info	Medium	Date	-
01.-		A Dissertation upon Roast Pig by Frederick Stuart Church	Frederick Stuart Church 'F. S. Church' (Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1842 - New York, 1924)	Original Etching in Sepia	1883 (Published, 1884)
02.-		Blakesmoor by Robert Swain Gifford	Robert Swain Gifford 'Robert Gifford' (Nonamesset, Mass., 1840 - New York, 1905)	Original Etching and Drypoint	1883 (Published, 1884)
03.-		Detached Thoughts on Books by James David Smillie	James David Smillie 'J. D. Smillie' (New York City, 1833 - 1909)	Original Etching	1883 (Published, 1884)	Sold
04.-		Inner Temple Lane by Charles Adams Platt	Charles Adams Platt 'Charles Platt' (New York City, 1861 - 1933)	Original Etching with Plate Tone	1883 (Published, 1884)	Sold
05.-		Oxford by Charles Adams Platt	Charles Adams Platt 'Charles Platt' (New York City, 1861 - 1933)	Original Etching with Plate Tone	1883 (Published, 1884)	Sold
06.-		The Sun Dial by James David Smillie	James David Smillie 'J. D. Smillie' (New York City, 1833 - 1909)	Original Etching	1883 (Published, 1884)	Sold
07.-		Westminster Abbey by Charles Adams Platt	Charles Adams Platt 'Charles Platt' (New York City, 1861 - 1933)	Original Etching with Plate Tone	1883 (Published, 1884)	Sold

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Title:	The Sun Dial
Artist:	Smillie, James David 'James D. Smillie' (New York City, 1833 - 1909)
Date:	1883 (Published, 1884)
Medium:	Original Etching
Publisher:	G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York
Edition:	Edition of five hundred impressions
Source:	"Essays of Elia", by Charles Lamb
Note:	James David Smillie 'James D. Smillie': An accomplished nineteenth century etcher and painter, James David Smillie studied from the age of nine under his father, James Smillie (1807-1885), a well known engraver. More than any American etcher of his time, James David Smillie became an expert in etching and engraving techniques and his advice was sought after by many etchers and printers throughout the latter half of the nineteenth century. Many of the fine etchings commissioned by "The American Art Review", for example, were printed under James David Smillie's supervision. In the late 1880's, James D. Smillie was commissioned by the Smithsonian Institute to create drypoints, mezzotints, soft ground etchings and aquatints as examples for other artists to follow.
	James David Smillie was a founding member of the influential New York Etching Club and later became its president. He also served as president of the American Water Color Society from 1873 to 1879. He was made an Associate of the National Academy in 1865 and elected a full Academician in 1876.
	The large majority of James David Smillie's original etchings date from 1878 to 1900 and are striking examples of etching processes. "The Sun Dial" is a beautiful, pastoral composition which clearly compliments Lamb's writings. Like all Smillie's etchings it bears his oeuvre number in the lower corner: in this case, this original etching was the twenty-second work of art he created in this medium. The inscription the dial reads, I Take no Note of Time Save When the Sun is Shining.
	The English author and essayist, Charles Lamb (1775-1834) first published his Essays of Elia in 1823. In 1884 the New York firm of Putnam's issued a new edition. For this new edition the publisher commissioned original etchings from such distinguished American artists as Charles Adams Platt, James David Smillie, Frederick Stuart Church and Robert Swain Gifford. James. D. Smillie's "The Sun Dial" originates from this source.
Size:	4 1/2 X 6 1/4 (Sizes in inches are approximate, height preceding width of plate-mark or image.)
	Matted with 100% Archival Materials
Condition:	Printed on fine hand-made, laid paper and with full margins as commissioned by Putnam's in New York in 1884. Signed within the plate, "J. Smillie, 1883" to the lower left and bearing his number (22) to the lower right. A beautifully printed impression and in excellent condition throughout. "The Sun Dial" represents a prime, original example of the nineteenth century American etched art of James David Smillie 'James D. Smillie'.
Subject:	Sun Dial, Time, Garden, J. D. Smillie, Pastoral, etching, American etcher, nineteenth century, New York Etching Club.
Price:	Sold - The price is no longer available.
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