Born to a leather seller in Holborn in 1769, William Henry Pyne showed an early talent for drawing and was entered into the drawing school of William Shipley, founder of what would become the Royal Society of the Arts. Pyne worked predominately in watercolour, concentrating on landscapes with humorous touches and exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy from 1790. At this time watercolours did not enjoy the same prestige as works in oil and feeling a lack of support and recognition from the Royal Academy, Pyne in concert with other artists left the RA and founded the Old Watercolour Society in 1804 now the Royal Watercolour Society.
In addition to painting Pyne began collaborating on publications using the aquatint process, an ideal medium to convey watercolours. The aquatint technique abandoned the hard lines of earlier processes in favour of gentler, tonal effects. Pyne’s publications were successful at home and abroad, and encouraged by this he embarked on the considerable work, The History of the Royal Residences of Windsor Castle, St. James’s Palace, Carlton House, Kensington Palace, Hampton Court, Buckingham House, and Frogmore …’ issued between 1816 and 1819. Unlike more popular publishers like Rudolf Ackermann, Pyne unwisely aimed largely for court circles with a price to match; he was unable to spread his costs effectively and suffered serious financial difficulties. Pyne retired from his artistic pursuits and instead wrote anecdotally on art and the artists’ life under the name Ephraim Hardcastle. A popular figure in artistic and literary circles, he eventually fell into obscurity where he remained until his death in 1843.
These remarkable aquatints serve as some of the only records of the Regency interiors of these Royal Palaces. The principal artists Charles Wild and James Stephanoff, with plates by Rev. Richard Cattermole and William Westall, and the chief engraver Thomas Sutherland assisted by RG Reeve, WJ Bennett and D Havell, were among the most skilled practitioners of their time, demonstrating a mastery of combining subtle gradations of tone with clarity of outline, which was then finished with sumptuous hand colour. It is a poignant irony that A History of Royal Residences was at once the apogee of aquatint engraving, and Pyne’s financial undoing.
Below are a few examples from this collection of original antique Pyne aquatints. Please click on an image to see it in high-resolution with details of the work itself. For the full list of views available, please do contact us.
![Pyne: Hampton Court Palace. 1818. An original colour antique aquatint. 11" x 9". [LDNp8729] The Throne Room.](https://i0.wp.com/prints.themaphouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ldnp8729w1.jpg?w=619&h=491&ssl=1)
![Pyne: Carlton House. 1817. An original colour antique aquatint. 12" x 9". [LDNp6607] Golden Drawing Room.](https://i0.wp.com/prints.themaphouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ldnp6607w1.jpg?w=293&h=234&ssl=1)
![Pyne: Windsor Castle, Berkshire. 1818. An original colour antique aquatint. 12" x 10". [ENGp100] Old Guard Chamber in Round Tower: Interior view with figures.](https://i0.wp.com/prints.themaphouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/engp100w.jpg?w=293&h=253&ssl=1)
![Pyne: Kensington Palace. 1818. An original colour antique aquatint. 12" x 10". [LDNp7936] The Admiral's Gallery.](https://i0.wp.com/prints.themaphouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/ldnp7936w.jpg?w=304&h=250&ssl=1)
![Pyne: Windsor Castle. 1818. An original colour antique aquatint. 10" x 8". [ENGp88] Queen's State Bedchamber: Interior of red room.](https://i0.wp.com/prints.themaphouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/engp88w1.jpg?w=304&h=253&ssl=1)
![Pyne: Windsor Castle, Berkshire. 1818. An original colour antique aquatint. 10" x 8". [ENGp306] Interior of the Ball Room.](https://i0.wp.com/prints.themaphouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/engp306w.jpg?w=608&h=507&ssl=1)
![Pyne: Hampton Court Palace. 1818. An original colour antique aquatint. 10" x 8". [LDNp8717] Hampton Court Cartoon Gallery.](https://i0.wp.com/prints.themaphouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/ldnp8717w.jpg?w=552&h=450&ssl=1)
![Pyne: Carlton House. 1818. An original colour antique aquatint. 10" x 12". [LDNp619] Conservatory.](https://i0.wp.com/prints.themaphouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/ldnp619w.jpg?w=360&h=450&ssl=1)
![Pyne: Kensington Palace. 1817. An original colour antique aquatint. 9" x 12". [LDNp11207] Kensington Palace: The Queen's Closet.](https://i0.wp.com/prints.themaphouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/LDNp11207w.jpg?w=359&h=463&ssl=1)
![Pyne: St. James's Palace. 1819. An original colour antique aquatint. 12" x 9". [LDNp6510] The Old Bed Chamber hung with tapestries.](https://i0.wp.com/prints.themaphouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ldnp6510w.jpg?w=553&h=463&ssl=1)
![Pyne: Frogmore, Berkshire. 1819. An original colour antique aquatint. 9" x 11". [ENGp106] The Green Closet, located on the first floor at the north-western corner of the house, overlooking the garden. According to Pyne, the lacquer panelling here was ‘original japan’ rather than an imitation produced by Princess Elizabeth. The cabinet and chairs were made of Indian cane and the porcelain vases on the top of the cupboards and cabinet are probably all of Far Eastern origin. This room may have housed some of the imperial gifts presented to George III by the Emperor Qianlong in 1793. These included porcelain, jade, red lacquer caskets, carved lacquer panels and silk. In the course of his visit to Frogmore in 1797, Joseph Farington noted ‘some presents from the Emperor of China’.](https://i0.wp.com/prints.themaphouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/engp106w.jpg?w=613&h=752&ssl=1)
![Pyne: St. James's Palace. 1818. An original colour antique aquatint. 12" x 10". [LDNp7937] St James's Palace Guard Chamber.](https://i0.wp.com/prints.themaphouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/ldnp7937w.jpg?w=299&h=250&ssl=1)
![Pyne: Carlton House. 1819. An original colour antique aquatint. 12" x 9". [LDNp6513] West Ante Room](https://i0.wp.com/prints.themaphouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ldnp6513w.jpg?w=299&h=256&ssl=1)
![Pyne: Carlton House. 1819. An original colour antique aquatint. 12" x 9". [LDNp6605] South Front.](https://i0.wp.com/prints.themaphouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ldnp6605w1.jpg?w=299&h=238&ssl=1)
![Pyne: Carlton House. 1817. An original colour antique aquatint. 9" x 12". [LDNp6604] Golden Drawing Room, an alcove.](https://i0.wp.com/prints.themaphouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ldnp6604w1.jpg?w=528&h=648&ssl=1)
![Pyne: Carlton House. 1819. An original colour antique aquatint. 12" x 9". [LDNp10098] Gallery of the Staircase. The gallery circumscribes the staircase on the chamber floor, with marble busts and Termini lamps.](https://i0.wp.com/prints.themaphouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ldnp10098w1.jpg?w=384&h=315&ssl=1)
![Pyne: Kensington Palace. 1818. An original colour antique aquatint. 10" x 8". [LDNp5113] King's Great Drawing Room.](https://i0.wp.com/prints.themaphouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/ldnp5113w.jpg?w=384&h=329&ssl=1)
![Pyne: Carlton House. 1818. An original colour antique aquatint. 12" x 10". [LDNp3246] The Gothic dining room.](https://i0.wp.com/prints.themaphouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/ldnp3246w.jpg?w=309&h=239&ssl=1)
![Pyne: St. James's Palace. 1818. An original colour antique aquatint. 12" x 10". [LDNp3077] King's Presence Chamber.](https://i0.wp.com/prints.themaphouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/ldnp3077w.jpg?w=309&h=264&ssl=1)
![Pyne: Carlton House. 1819. An original colour antique aquatint. 12" x 9". [LDNp10099] The Lower Vestible. The original Henry Holland design has been recently altered, and the original wall replaced with scagliola corinthian columns.](https://i0.wp.com/prints.themaphouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ldnp10099w.jpg?w=603&h=507&ssl=1)
![Pyne: Windsor Castle, Berkshire. 1818. An original colour antique aquatint. 10" x 8". [ENGp307] Interior of the Kitchen.](https://i0.wp.com/prints.themaphouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/engp307w.jpg?w=461&h=372&ssl=1)
![Pyne: Frogmore, Berkshire. 1818. An original colour antique aquatint. 10" x 8". [ENGp211] Pyne: Frogmore, Berkshire. 1818. An original colour antique aquatint. 10" x 8". [ENGp211]](https://i0.wp.com/prints.themaphouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/engp211w.jpg?w=451&h=372&ssl=1)
![Pyne: Windsor Castle, Berkshire. 1816. An original colour antique aquatint. 10" x 12". [ENGp101] Queen Ann's bed in what was Charles II's dining room before the alteration of Brick Court. After Charles Wild.](https://i0.wp.com/prints.themaphouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/engp101w.jpg?w=615&h=753&ssl=1)
![Pyne: Buckingham House. 1818. An original colour antique aquatint. 10" x 8". [LDNp5110] Pyne: Buckingham House. 1818. An original colour antique aquatint. 10" x 8". [LDNp5110]](https://i0.wp.com/prints.themaphouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/ldnp5110w.jpg?w=297&h=248&ssl=1)
![Pyne: Kensington Palace. 1818. An original colour antique aquatint. 10" x 8". [LDNp9291] Queen Mary's Bed Chamber.](https://i0.wp.com/prints.themaphouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ldnp9291w.jpg?w=297&h=250&ssl=1)
![Pyne: Hampton Court Palace. 1818. An original colour antique aquatint. 12" x 10". [LDNp8728] King's Writing Closet with a painting by Bougdane over the chimney piece and a mirror reflecting other chambers.](https://i0.wp.com/prints.themaphouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ldnp8728w.jpg?w=297&h=247&ssl=1)
![Pyne: Carlton House. 1818. An original colour antique aquatint. 12" x 10". [LDNp3245] Dining room with Ionic columns looking towards the west end conservatory.](https://i0.wp.com/prints.themaphouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/ldnp3245w.jpg?w=461&h=385&ssl=1)
![Pyne: Carlton House. 1818. An original colour antique aquatint. 12" x 10". [LDNp3243] Vestibule.](https://i0.wp.com/prints.themaphouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/ldnp3243w.jpg?w=451&h=385&ssl=1)