The Nouveau Theatre is justly celebrated for its survey of the country house during the Augustan age (circa 1700 to 1745), recorded in the series of plates engraved by Kip and including the highly detailed depictions of gardens and parks. Influenced in origin by a series of French publications, this wonderful series of plates, like Buck's views of towns some years later, is a celebration of a whole range of country houses and English prosperity, and provides a complete look at the height of Baroque design before the Palladian revival in England.

The contribution by other engravers comprises an outstanding series of plates showing the royal palaces, naval towns (Harwich, Chatham, Rochester, Portsmouth, Plymouth and the Eddystone Lighthouse), cathedrals, the colleges of Oxford and Cambridge, and large panoramic views of London, Westminster, Oxford and Cambridge. The Scottish plates, which include a fine panoramic view of Edinburgh, are largely derived from Slezer's Theatrum Scotiae.

The genesis of the work however was in the late seventeenth century with Kip's fellow Dutchman Leonard Knyff (1650-1727). It was his initiative to publish a series of engraved views of English country houses when he announced in the Post Man for 10-12th May 1698 that he; 'hath undertaken, by way of Subscription, the Drawing and Printing of 100 Noblemen and Gentlemens Seats... A hundred Subscribers shall pay Ten pound each; Six pounds thereof at the time of their Subscriptions, and the remaining Four Pounds when half is finished to carry on the rest, and shall then be delivered, that every Subscriber shall have two Prints of each impression, which make in all 200'. However, Knyff encountered financial difficulties so that when the work was finally published the plates, which were engraved by Kip, were owned by David Mortier.

3 vols in 4, folio (56 x 38.5 cm); title-pages printed in red & black, engraved royal armorial vignette to titles, 272 engraved plates, several sharing single sheets (prospect of London etc.), and 40 engraved maps, after and by Kip, Leonard Knyff, James Collins, David Loggan, John Harris, Wenzel Hollar, and others, mostly double-page or joined multiple sheets, overslip to table of vol. II, booksellers ticket to margin of plate 31 of vol. II; contemporary full vellum, gilt frames and motifs to panels, a fine set.

Adams 22.6.