David Loggan (1634-1692) View of Cambridge

Engraving after 1690, this is a slightly later Henry Overton printing, shortly after 1700 35x51cm Baptised in Danzig in 1634 Loggan's parents were English and Scottish. Studying engraving in Danzig with Willem Hondius (1598-1652 or 1658) he moved to London in the late 1650s producing the engraved title-page for the folio 1662 Book of Common Prayer. Marrying in 1663 he moved to Nuffield, Oxfordshire in 1665 to avoid the Plague and was in 1668/9 appointed Public Sculptor to the nearby University of Oxford having been commissioned to produce bird’s-eye views of all the Oxford Colleges. He lived in Holywell Street as he did this. Oxonia illustrata was published in 1675, with the help of Robert White (1645-1704). Following its completion he commenced work on his equivalent work for Cambridge, Cantabrigia Illustrata which was finally published in 1690 when he was made engraver to Cambridge University. Oxonia illustrata also includes an engraving of Winchester College (sharing its founder – William of Wykeham – with New College) whilst Cantabrigia illustrata includes one of Eton College (which shares its founder – Henry VIII – with King’s College). Bird’s-eye views required a particular talent as an architectural perspectivist of that era as it was not until 1783 that the first living thing (a sheep, named Montauciel ‘climb to the sky’) was sent aloft by the Mongolfier brothers in a balloon. Loggan thus had to rely on his imagination in conceiving the views. Loggan’s views constitute the first accurate depictions of the two Universities, in many ways unchanged today. Whilst the Oxford engravings were produced in reasonable numbers and ran to a second edition by Henry Overton (on thicker paper and with a plate number in the bottom right-hand corner), those of Cambridge were printed in smaller numbers and it is thought largely no second edition was produced, although this frontispiece proudly claims to have been published by Overton and a pencil note on the print suggests 1715 as a date. The Dutchman Pieter van der Aa published some miniature versions of the engravings for James Beverell’s guidebook to the UK Les Delices de la Grande Bretagne c. 1708. Edmund Hort New (1871-1931) produced a series of pen-and-ink drawings of views of Oxford that paid homage to Loggan showing the development of the city in the following two hundred years. They were turned into photoengravings by Emery Walker who published the series between . Probably no more than two hundred of each engraving were produced and the plates were destroyed in the blitz. The contemporary artist Andrew Ingamells (b.1956) has produced a highly-acclaimed series of etchings again bringing Loggan’s vision up to date. If you are interested email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056. Condition: Good. Some age toning as visible in photograph; usual handling wear and marks to edges.

David Loggan (1634-1692) University of Cambridge Frontispiece and Dedication for Cantabrigia Illustrata (1690)   Engraving 38 x 55 cm Loggan was born to English and Scottish parents, and was baptised in Danzig in 1634. After studying engraving in Danzig with Willem Hondius (1598-1652 or 1658), he moved to London in the late 1650s, going on to produce the engraved title-page for the folio 1662 Book of Common Prayer. He married in 1663 and moved to Nuffield in Oxfordshire in 1665. Loggan was appointed Public Sculptor to the nearby University of Oxford in the late 1660s, having been commissioned to produce bird’s-eye views of all the Oxford colleges. He lived in Holywell Street as he did this. The 'Oxonia Illustrata' was published in 1675, with the help of Robert White (1645-1704). Following its completion, Loggan began work on his equivalent work for Cambridge; the 'Cantabrigia Illustrata' was finally published in 1690, when he was made engraver to Cambridge University. The 'Oxonia Illustrata' also includes an engraving of Winchester College (Winchester and New College share William of Wykeham as their founder) whilst the 'Cantabrigia Illustrata' includes one of Eton College (which shares its founder, Henry VIII, with King’s College). Bird’s-eye views from this era required a particular talent as an architectural perspectivist; it was not until 1783 that it became possible for artists to ascend via hot air balloons and view the scenes they were depicting from above. Loggan thus had to rely on his imagination in conceiving the views. Loggan’s views constitute the first accurate depictions of the two Universities, in many ways unchanged today. Whilst the Oxford engravings were produced in reasonable numbers and ran to a second edition by Henry Overton (on thicker paper and with a plate number in Roman numerals in the bottom right-hand corner), those of Cambridge were printed in much smaller numbers. The Dutchman Pieter van der Aa published some miniature versions of the engravings for James Beverell’s guidebook to the UK, 'Les Delices de la Grande Bretagne' (c. 1708). The contemporary artist Andrew Ingamells (b.1956) has produced a highly-acclaimed series of etchings which bring Loggan’s original vision up to date.