Thomas Nast

"Christmas 1863", Thomas Nast's Civil War Harper's Weekly Woodcut Engraving

1863

This is a large framed very rare hand-colored copperplate mezzotint engraved portrait of William Pitt, the Elder, 1st Earl of Chatham by Edward Fisher, published in London in 1779 after a painting by Richard Brompton. Pitt is depicted attired in a flowing regal appearing cape, standing in an ornate room with his left hand outstretched over a serious of manuscripts and scrolls that are laying on a table or desk to his left. The table is covered by a beautiful oriental carpet. The manuscripts include the Magna Carta, a map of the colonies, including Long Island and Staten Island, and papers entitled "A Plan for the Reconciliation between Great Britain and the Colonies", "A Motion Made in 1775 for the Recall of Troops from Boston", "A Provisional Act for Settling the Troubles in America Offered to the House of Lords in 1775", and "It is doing Nothing to repeal a few Scraps of Paper or Pieces of Parchment called Acts of Parliament. But our Business is to repeal the Ill-Will and the Animosity unfortunately now subsisting between Great Britain and North America". This engraving is held by the British Museum and the British Royal Collection Trust. This large framed mezzotint engraving is presented in a brown wood frame with gold-colored beaded inner and outer trim, and a cream-colored French mat. The frame measures 31.63" high by 26.63" wide by 0.75" deep. There are three short tears along the right edge and mild creasing in the left upper, left lower and right lower corners. It is otherwise in very good condition. William Pitt (1708-1778) was a member of the British parliament from 1735 to 1761 and prime minister from 1766 to 1768. Pitt was an advocate for the American colonies leading up to the War of Independence. He called for an amiable relationship between Great Britain and the colonies and opposed the Stamp Act and military action in America. He advocated for a withdrawal of English troops from Boston in 1775 and the settling of troubles in America, as two of his manuscripts on the table outline. Pitt's colleague, Lord Shelburne (later the Marquess of Lansdowne) shared his sympathies and after Pitt's death, signed a peace treaty with the United States in 1782. The American city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is named for William Pitt, the Elder. The name originated when the conflict between the British and French over territorial claims in the Northeast were settled in 1758. General John Forbes and his British army, supported by the American colonial troops, expelled the French from Fort Duquesne (which had been constructed by the French in 1754). Forbes re-named the site for William Pitt the Elder, who at the time was a British statesman. The earliest known reference to the new name, Pittsburgh, is in a letter sent from General John Forbes to Pitt, dated November 27, 1758. Pitt's son, William Pitt, the Younger, like his father, also served as British Prime Minister. Edward Fisher (1730-1785) was born in Ireland in 1730. He was originally a hatter, but learned engraving in London. He became a member of the Incorporated Society of Artists in 1766, and exhibited there fourteen times between 1761 and 1776. He engraved more than sixty portraits. In addition to this portrait of William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, after Richard Brompton he engraved several portraits after Brompton, including George, Earl of Albemarle, as well as engraved portraits after paintings by Joshua Reynolds, including the Shakespearean actor David Garrick, Hugh, Earl of Northumberland, and Elizabeth, Countess of Northumberland and Laurence Sterne, and Hope Nursing Love, as well as Robert Brown, after Mason Chamberlin, Colley Cibber, after Jean-Baptiste van Loo, Christian VII of Denmark, after Nathaniel Dance, Simon, Earl Harcourt, after Hunter, Roger Long, after Benjamin Wilson...

This is an 18th century engraving and etching entitled "Parmigiani Amica" by Robert Strange after a painting by Girolamo Francesco Maria Mazzola, better known as Parmigianino, who lived during the Renaissance period. It was published in London in 1774. As the inscription states, the painting was in the collection of the King of Naples at the time the engraving was made. The engraving depicts a half-length portrait of a young woman, known as Parmigiani's Amica (meaning "female friend" in Italian). She is depicted wearing a simple but elegant dress with a low-cut neckline, which reveals her delicate features and graceful neck. Her hair is arranged in a simple yet stylish manner. She is turning to the right to look lovingly at her infant, which she is holding with her right arm. She is touching the baby's mouth with her left hand. The background of the engraving is plain and unadorned, allowing the viewer to focus entirely on the subject of the portrait. The result is a beautiful and timeless image that captures the essence of Renaissance portraiture. The engraving is printed on watermarked paper. The sheet measures 16.25" high and 12' wide. The sheet is adhered to paper in its upper corners and it has been removed from the paper in its lower corners. There is some mild discoloration and some wrinkling in the margins, including the lower inscription area, and a small dark spot in the upper margin, which may represent a drop of ink occuring at the time of printing. These issues do not involve the image, which is in very good condition. The print is held by several museums and institutions, including: The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, The British Museum in London, The Royal Museums of the UK, The British National Trust...

THE BREAK OF DAY is an original limited edition woodcut print by the African-American painter and sculptor, Otto Neals. The woodblock used to print THE BREAK OF DAY was hand-carved b...

Silkscreen Print on Fine Art Cream Speckletone 24 × 18 in 61 × 45.7 cm Edition of 500 Silkscreen / Graffiti and Street Art / Pop and Contemporary Pop / Cultural Commentary / Contemporary Academic Realism "The Earth's eco-system is beautifully complex but fragile. Biodiversity is essential to maintain the delicate balance our world needs to remain healthy. 68% of the Earth's species have disappeared in the last 50 years alone. Many beautiful creatures are gone forever, and each loss erodes the foundation of our eco-system. My poster...