The English dance of death - The dance of life

The English dance of death - The dance of life is an original couple of books engraved by Thomas Rowlandson (13 July 1757 – 21 April 1827) and written by William Combe (25 March 1742 – 19 June 1823) in 1816/1817. 

Original First Edition.

Published by Ackermann, London. 

Format: in 8°. The dimensions of the book are indicative. The book includes 3 volumes with 295 + 299 + 285 pages.

2 frontis and 96 handcolored etchings. 

252 pages and 26 handcolored aquatints.

Good conditions.

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The book has been illustrated by Thomas Rowlandson (13 July 1757 – 21 April 1827), he was an English artist and caricaturist of the Georgian Era, noted for his political satire and social observation. A prolific artist and printmaker, Rowlandson produced both individual social and political satires, as well as large number of illustrations for novels, humorous books, and topographical works. Like other caricaturists of his age such as James Gillray, his caricatures are often robust or bawdy. Rowlandson also produced highly explicit erotica for a private clientele; this was never published publicly at the time and is now only found in a small number of collections. His caricatures included those of people in power such as the Duchess of Devonshire, William Pitt the Younger and Napoleon Bonaparte.

The book has beenw written by William Combe (25 March 1742 – 19 June 1823) was a British miscellaneous writer. His early life was that of an adventurer, his later was passed chiefly within the "rules" of the King's Bench Prison. He is chiefly remembered as the author of The Three Tours of Doctor Syntax, a comic poem, illustrated by artist Thomas Rowlandson's color plates, that satirised William Gilpin. Combe also wrote a series of imaginary letters, supposed to have been written by the second, or "wicked" Lord Lyttelton. Of a similar kind were his letters between Swift and "Stella". He also wrote the letterpress for various illustrated books, and was a general hack.