Description:

Washington George


Exquisite Rare 1785 Portrait Engraving of George Washington, Carington Bowles, London

 

 

EXTREMELY RARE 1785 PORTRAIT OF GEORGE WASHINGTON



Hand-colored mezzotint Carington Bowles, London, 1785.

Full-length portrait of General Washington, in uniform, with the Declaration of Independence and the treaty of alliance with France in his hand, and torn copies of documents relating to reconciliation efforts by Great Britain under his feet. An African slave or servant tends his horse. Engraved from a painting by Jean- Baptiste Le Paon, with elements of Charles Wilson Peale and Noel Le Mire. Below engraving, "Printed for and sold by Carington Bowles" and "No. 69 in St Paul's Church yard London." Baker number 22. Carington Bowles (British, 1724-1793), after Noel Le Mire (French, 1724-1793), after Jean Baptiste Le Paon (French, 1738-1785), after Charles Wilson Peale (American, 1741-1827.)

A mezzotint is a print made using a copper plate which has been worked over ('grounded') using a semi-circular fine-toothed tool ('rocker') so that the entire surface is roughened. In this state, when inked the plate will print solid black. The design is then created by scraping down and polishing areas of the plate. These will hold less ink and so print more lightly than the unpolished areas. The mezzotint plate is particularly prone to wear during printing. The result is that the earliest impressions are the finest and print very dark with strong definition whereas later ones are noticeably fainter. 

 

This stunning engraving is known to have 2 states, the one offered here omitting the tree and background (as does the copy located at Mount Vernon.) William Spohn Baker, The Engraved Portraits of Washington... 1880, no. 22:

 

GENERAL WASHINGTON. Full figure in uniform, standing to the left, in front of a tent.    Mezzotinto.

Height 12 14.16 inches ; Width 9 14.16 Inches

Printed far and sold by Carington Bowles No 69 in St Pauls Church Yard London. Published as the act directs 24 June 1785.

Extremely rare,

A copy of the preceding Print, omitting the tree in the rear of the Tent, and the Landscape to the right.

 

As found, in a period (possibly original) frame, with gilt edging and black painted top edge; back shows signs of various paper reinforcements and primitive restoration, along with a number of tide-marks. At some point a mat was added (or replaced); we have not attempted to lift the image from this board. Later cardboard backing replaced with a plexiglass window for easier viewing.

One of the few auction records we located is the Edwin Babcock Holden collection (New York : T.E. Kirby, 1910; no. 39), described as "omitting the tree overhanging marquee and some other details", and concluding, "The impression is cut to the print but it is scarce in anv condition.”

 

Referenced:

GROLIER CLUB. Catalogue of the Engraved Portraits of Washington. By Charles Henry Hart. New York, 1904.

HOLDEN, E. B. (1910). Catalogue of the very important collection of rare Americana and fine engravings formed by the late Edwin Babcock Holden: to be sold ... April 21,1910... at the American Art Galleries. New York, T.E. Kirby.

PINGEL, J. (2014). Confidence and character: the religious life of George Washington. P. 76.



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