Smirke, Robert “The Marys at the Sepulchre.” From Thomas Macklin’s "Holy Bible"

Robert Smirke. (1752-1845) “The Marys at the Sepulchre.” From Thomas Macklin’s Holy Bible. London: T. Macklin, July 16, 1791. Engraving by W. Sharp.  12 x 9 7/8. Spots and smudges in margins, else good condition. Religious prints were produced throughout the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries with fine engraving, showing biblical themes, religious allegories and the like. One of the most impressive sets of such prints came from Thomas Macklin’s Holy Bible, issued between 1792 and 1800. This sumptuous work, the largest English Bible ever printed, included 70 large engravings after a number of important artists, including Philippe Jacques de Loutherbourg, Joshua Reynolds and Benjamin West. Macklin said the publication was to promote “the glory of the English school” of painting and engraving and “the interest of our HOLY RELIGION.” For the project Macklin hired the best English engravers, commissioned leading artists for paintings, in all taking almost a decade and costing him ab