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the experience of reading in Britain, from 1450 to 1945...

Reading Experience Database UK Historical image of readers
 
 
 
 

Record Number: 22065


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'Johnson this year expressed great satisfaction at the publication of the first volume of "Discourses to the Royal Academy", by Sir Joshua Reynolds, whom he always considered as one of his literary school. Much praise indeed is due to those excellent "Discourses", which are so universally admired, and for which the authour received from the Empress of Russia a gold snuff-box, adorned with her profile in bas relief, set in diamonds; and containing what is infinitely more valuable, a slip of paper, on which are written with her Imperial Majesty's own hand, the following words: "Pour le Chevalier Reynolds en temoignage du contentement que j'ai ressentie a la lecture de ses excellens discours sur la peinture".'

Century:

Date:

Until: 31 Dec 1778

Country:

England

Time

n/a

Place:

n/a

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown


Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Samuel Johnson

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

18 Sep 1709

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

writer

Religion:

Anglican

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

England

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

n/a


Additional Comments:

n/a



Text Being Read:

Author:

Joshua Reynolds

Title:

Discourses Delivered at the Royal Academy

Genre:

Arts / architecture

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

unknown


Source Information:

Record ID:

22065

Source:

Print

Author:

James Boswell

Editor:

R.W. Chapman

Title:

Life of Johnson

Place of Publication:

Oxford

Date of Publication:

1980

Vol:

n/a

Page:

1008

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

James Boswell, R.W. Chapman (ed.), Life of Johnson, (Oxford, 1980), p. 1008, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=22065, accessed: 29 March 2024


Additional Comments:

Originally published 1791.

   
   
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