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First Reading of the Bible in the Crypt of old St.Paul's

Publisher: Graves, HenryPrintmaker: Simmons, William Henry · 1811-1882Primary artist: Harvey, George, Sir, PPRSA RSA · 1806-1876

First Reading of the Bible in the Crypt of old St.Paul's

Harvey's original oil on completion was toured throughout britain, appearin gat local fine art dealer's premises (including Mr Linneker, 15 Ranclagh…

Harvey's original oil on completion was toured throughout britain, appearin gat local fine art dealer's premises (including Mr Linneker, 15 Ranclagh Street, Liverpool 17 -19 April 1845; Mr Grundy, 4 Exchange Street, Liverpool, 22-26 April 1845; Mr james Gilbert, of 9 Charles Street, at the Music Hall, Sheffield 15-22 May 1845; Mr Everitt, Gallery of the Fine Arts, 66 New Street, Birmingham 27-31 may 1845, Mr Gilman, Back of the Inns, Norwich, by 13 Sept 1845; by December 1845 at Alexander Crichton, Princes Street, Edinburgh, and by January 1846 at Mr Finlay's in Glasgow) before being fully exhibited at the RA in 1846 (592), at the 22nd Annual Liverpool Academy Exhibition of Work of Modern Artists also in 1846 994) where it took the prize of £50, and in 1847 at the Royal Scottish Academy (192), to which latter exhibition it was lent by John Clow, Merchant, Liverpool; his sale, Ash House, Liverpool, 20-22 April 1852 where purchased by the future MP John Torr for 350 guineas. Harvey appears to have begun painting his origoinal oil shorlty after the 300th anniversary of King Henry VIII's Injunction issued in September 1538 for the Public Reading of the Bible in every parish church in England . All of the clergy were ordered to provide before a specified date "one Boke of the whole Bible , of the largest volume , in Englyshe , and the same sette up in summe convenyent place within the Churche that ye have the cure of , whereat your parishioners may most commodiouslye resort to the same and rede it."

An article in 'The Scotsman' of Saturday 18 June 1938, sought information on the whereabouts of harvey's original fort he 400th Anniversasry of Henry VIII's Injunction, and the correspondent, H McNaught, stated that the painting was known only from engravings of it of which only twelve impressions were known, including one in St Asaph's Cathedral in North Wales and another which had just been presented to St Paul's Cathedral. Of the twelve recorded copies, seven were then in Scotland. Mcnaught also states the publication date as 1846.

prospectus survives in the National Archives of Scotland (Dalhousie Muniments GD152/204/1/7(2)) and another copy in the Kenneth Sanderson Collection of Artist's Autographs, Fine Art Dept, Edinburgh Central Public Library; "prospectus fo the First Reading of the Bible in the Crypt of Old St. Paul's Anno 1540/ Painted by Geoge Harvey RSA, and Engraving in Line, tjhe Size of Landseer's Highland Drovers, by Robert Graves ARA/ Price to subscribers / Prints, Four Guineas; Proofs, Eight , ditto; Before Letters, Twelve, ditto; Subscribers Names Received by/ Henry Graves & Co., 6 Pall Mall, London;/ Alexander Crichton, Princes St. Edinburgh; and/ George Harvey RSA, Brunswick Street, Edinburgh,/ Under Whose Direction the Engraving will be published."

Vide also the Papers of Henry Graves & Co (BL, Add MSS 46140, fo.185v & 186) for an agreement dated 1842-08-13 between George Harvey RSA, Alexander Crichton, Printseller, Princes St, Edinburgh, and Messrs Graves & Walmsley, 6 Pall Mall, London, to publishing a line engraving of the picture, and in which Harvey valued the copyright in his original oil at 300 guineas. (information from Helen Smailes, Curator of British Art, National Galleriy of Scotland)