Henry William Bunbury (1750–1811), usually signing simply “H. Bunbury,” was one of Georgian Britain’s most popular humorous draughtsmen. His lively caricatures of social life—officers in barracks, tavern goers, theatrical types, and travelers in comic mishaps—were widely engraved and published in the later eighteenth century. Because engravings after Bunbury were so prolific, separating an original drawing from a later print (even a hand-colored or retouched one) is the central challenge for appraisers and collectors.
This guide explains Bunbury’s style and materials, how to distinguish original drawings from prints and copies, what paper evidence can tell you, and the factors that drive value.
Who was H. Bunbury?
- Profile: A gentleman amateur and gifted draughtsman rather than a professional printmaker, Bunbury produced elegant humorous designs that were often engraved by others for the burgeoning market in satirical and genre prints.
- Subjects: Light satire and comic genre scenes rather than biting political caricature. Expect equestrian spills, rustic amusements, amateur theatricals, flirtations, and travel foibles.
- Publication: His designs circulated through prints engraved by specialists such as James Bretherton, Francesco Bartolozzi, and John Raphael Smith, and were issued by leading publishers of the era. Many prints carry inscriptions along the lower margin crediting Bunbury as designer (del., delin., or invenit).
For appraisers, this means: an authentic “H. Bunbury” drawing is the step before the print—usually a pen-and-ink and wash composition that engravers used as copy.
Recognizing an Original Bunbury Drawing
An original Bunbury drawing is not an engraved sheet with coloring; it is handmade, unique, and shows the artist’s direct line. Look for:
- Medium and technique
- Pen and brown or black ink, often with gray or brown wash to model forms.
- Occasional graphite or black chalk underdrawing; you might see faint pencil setting the composition.
- Brush handling is economical and transparent; washes pool lightly in recesses and along paper texture, not in halftone dots typical of printing.
- Signature and inscriptions
- A discreet “H. Bunbury” in ink near the lower margin or corner is typical on presentation drawings, but many working drawings are unsigned.
- On original art, a signature—if present—sits within the image field or just below it, written in the same hand and ink as other annotations.
- Be cautious with “H. Bunbury del.” along a lower plate-style margin; that construction is common on prints, not on drawings.
- Composition and style
- Clean, continuous contour lines with humorous exaggeration in posture and expression; figures often lean, teeter, or bustle with animated gesture.
- Carefully observed costume and equipage of the 1770s–1790s.
- Balanced, theatrical staging—foreground grouping, a middle narrative action, and a minor sight gag in the distance.
- Scale and format
- Many drawings are on laid paper sheets approximately small folio to quarto size, often 20–35 cm along the longer edge.
- Margins may be irregular or trimmed; mounting lines from old album presentation are common.
Clues within the sheet point to originality: dry lift where a pen nib pressed the laid lines, wash blooms at turnarounds, ghost lines erased and redrawn, and small corrections (white heightening or scraped highlights).
Drawing vs. Print: The Crucial Distinctions
Because engravings after Bunbury flooded the market—and many were later hand-colored—misidentification is common. Use this checklist of features:
- Plate mark
- Prints show a beveled platemark indentation around the image from the intaglio press. An original drawing on plain sheet will not. Beware: thick mats can hide platemarks; unframe and inspect.
- Printed dot and line structure
- Under magnification, stipple, mezzotint, or aquatint prints reveal granular dot patterns or a screen of tiny pits; etchings show bitten lines of even depth. Drawn lines vary with pressure and direction, pooling at nib starts and stops.
- Paper surface
- Prints often feel slightly compressed and burnished within the platemark. Drawings retain the full tooth of the laid paper surface uniformly across the sheet.
- Hand-coloring vs. wash
- Hand-colored prints have color laid over a printed outline and often leave a tiny white halo along lines. Wash in a drawing integrates with the lines and bleeds subtly into the fibers.
- Retouched proofs
- You may encounter printed proofs with the artist’s or a later hand adding ink or wash. In these, the printed line still exists beneath; magnification will reveal it. Such hybrids are collectible but are not wholly original drawings.
- Reverse orientation
- Engravings typically reverse the original design. If you find a print with the same composition mirrored from your sheet, your sheet might well be the model drawing—good evidence, but handle with care: copyists also used prints as sources to redraw compositions.
If the object is on wove paper with a clean, modern feel and no chain lines, or if a nonperiod watermark date appears (e.g., decades after Bunbury’s death), treat the piece as a later copy or reproduction unless other evidence proves otherwise.
Paper, Watermarks, and Dating
Paper is one of your most objective allies when assessing Georgian drawings:
- Laid paper
- Authentic eighteenth-century English drawing papers show vertical chain lines with fine horizontal laid lines. Hold the sheet to light to see the grid.
- Watermarks and countermarks
- Common British marks include “J WHATMAN” and “TURKEY MILL,” sometimes with dates in the 1790s–early 1800s. A watermark date after 1811 (the year of Bunbury’s death) is a red flag for authorship but not absolute proof against (old stock could be used later, and watermark dates are not production dates of drawings).
- Smaller countermarks with initials may appear opposite the primary watermark.
- Sheet edges and mounts
- Original album mounts with period ink captions can be persuasive. Look for eighteenth- or early nineteenth-century laid card, iron gall ink inscriptions, and uniform age toning.
- Collector’s marks
- Some drawings bear stamp marks of nineteenth- or early-twentieth-century collectors. If present, compare to known collectors’ stamps, which can bolster provenance.
- Inscriptions in the lower margin
- Printed plates crediting “H. Bunbury del.” or “H. Bunbury invenit” are publication elements—on a drawing, a long printed-style caption suggests a print cut down, not an original work.
Always examine out of frame. Backing boards and mats can disguise modern papers or trimmed plate edges. UV inspection can reveal modern optical brighteners in later papers; period laid paper will not fluoresce bright white.
Condition, Rarity, and Market Values
Original Bunbury drawings are scarcer than prints and command higher prices. Value hinges on:
- Subject and quality
- Signature comic scenes in fine, finished ink-and-wash command a premium. Strong figure groups, recognizable themes, and lively narrative raise desirability.
- Authorship confidence
- A secure attribution—stylistically coherent, on period laid paper, with good provenance—significantly increases value. Signed sheets with period provenance are best.
- Size and finish
- Fully realized compositions designed for engraving are more valuable than slight sketches. A large, complete scene can bring multiples of a small study.
- Condition
- Foxing, staining, paper losses, and overcleaning reduce value. Old folds or mount burns are common but should be stable. Noninvasive conservation can improve presentation without erasing history.
- Provenance
- Ownership history, early exhibition or publication references, and inclusion in known albums or collections strengthen value.
Indicative price terrain (broad, for orientation only):
- Minor studies or workshop-related drawings: often low to mid four figures, depending on quality and condition.
- Finished ink-and-wash compositions attributable to Bunbury: mid four to low five figures.
- Exceptional, signed, exhibition-quality sheets with strong provenance: higher five figures.
These ranges vary with market cycles and comparables; a specialist appraisal, ideally with physical inspection, is essential.
Conservation and Presentation
- Handling
- Use clean, dry hands or nitrile gloves; support the entire sheet. Avoid flexing laid paper along old folds or cracks.
- Surface cleaning
- Limit to soft brush dusting. Do not attempt to remove foxing or stains yourself; consult a paper conservator for aqueous or solvent treatments.
- Mounting and framing
- Hinge with Japanese paper and reversible wheat-starch paste to a 100% cotton rag mount. Use UV-filtering glazing and allow an air gap so no surface contacts the glass.
- Environmental care
- Keep relative humidity stable (40–55%) and temperature moderate. Avoid direct sunlight. Rotate off display to control cumulative light exposure.
Thoughtful presentation protects the sheet and signals quality during appraisal or sale.
Provenance, Cataloguing, and Your Next Steps
- Assemble documentation
- Record measurements (sheet and image), media, inscriptions, watermarks, and any labels or stamps. Photograph recto and verso in raking light.
- Compare compositions
- Search for engraved versions after Bunbury with the same subject. A related print can corroborate authorship; note whether your drawing matches the print’s reversed orientation.
- Seek expert views
- A specialist in Georgian caricature or British works on paper will evaluate line quality, period materials, and stylistic coherence. If conservation is needed, obtain a treatment estimate before sale.
- Catalogue clearly
- Use accurate titles, attributions (e.g., “Henry William Bunbury (1750–1811), attributed”), media, and dating (“circa 1785–1795”). Include paper description and watermark details.
- Plan disposition
- Options include specialist auctions, private sales through dealers in British caricature, or placement in collections focused on Georgian social satire.
A measured, evidence-led approach not only secures better valuations but also preserves scholarly value for future owners.
Practical Checklist: “H. Bunbury” Drawing Appraisal
- Unframe and inspect for a platemark; absence supports “drawing,” presence suggests “print.”
- Under magnification, confirm drawn lines and transparent wash rather than printed dot or bitten line.
- Backlight the sheet for laid lines and watermarks; note “J WHATMAN” or dated Turkey Mill marks.
- Record all inscriptions; be wary of printed-style captions or borderlines.
- Compare with known prints after Bunbury; check orientation and composition details.
- Evaluate condition: foxing, stains, tears, mount burns, abrasion.
- Document provenance: labels, collector stamps, sale receipts, album histories.
- If uncertain, seek a works-on-paper specialist opinion before cleaning or reframing.
Recent auction comps (examples)
To help ground this guide in real market activity, here are recent example auction comps from Appraisily’s internal database. These are educational comparables (not a guarantee of price for your specific item).
![Auction comp thumbnail for [Fishing] Lawrence, Sir Thomas, and Thomas Rowlandson, and Paul Sandby, et al.: Album of Original Angling-Themed Illustrations and Prints (Freeman's | Hindman, Lot 92)](https://assets.appraisily.com/articles/an-original-drawing-signed-h-bunbury/auctions/auction-freeman-s-hindman-92.jpg)
Disclosure: prices are shown as reported by auction houses and are provided for appraisal context. Learn more in our editorial policy.
FAQ
Q: My sheet says “H. Bunbury del.” along the bottom. Is it a drawing? A: That phrasing is typical of printed plates crediting Bunbury as the designer. If the text is part of the sheet below a rectangular image area and you see a platemark, it is a print. An original drawing rarely bears that printed-style legend.
Q: Did Bunbury always sign his drawings? A: No. Many working or preparatory drawings are unsigned. A lack of signature does not preclude authenticity if the style, materials, paper, and provenance are consistent with his practice.
Q: Are hand-colored prints after Bunbury considered originals? A: They are original period prints with later or contemporary coloring, not original drawings. They’re collectible but generally less valuable than a unique drawing.
Q: What watermarks should I hope to find? A: British laid papers such as “J WHATMAN” or “TURKEY MILL,” sometimes with dates in the 1770s–early 1800s, are typical. Watermarks later than 1811 warrant caution, though they are not absolute proof against.
Q: Can conservation remove foxing without hurting value? A: Professional, minimally invasive conservation can safely reduce foxing and stains and often improves value and appearance. Avoid aggressive bleaching or surface abrasion, which can devalue the sheet.
By combining stylistic scrutiny with paper analysis and careful documentation, you can confidently judge whether your “H. Bunbury” is a unique Georgian drawing—and position it appropriately in today’s market.
