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Antique Portrait of John Pym, English Politician

About the Item

Antique portrait titled 'John Pym Esqr.'. Old print of John Pym, an English politician, who helped establish the foundations of Parliamentary democracy. One of the Five Members whose attempted arrest in January 1642 sparked the First English Civil War, his use of procedure to outmanoeuvre opponents was unusual for the period and he was respected by contemporaries rather than admired. In 1895, the political historian Goldwin Smith described him as "the greatest member of Parliament that ever lived". This print originates from Thomas Birch's 'The Heads of Illustrious Persons of Great Britain'. The portraits featured in the series, which were engraved by Jacob Houbraken and George Vertue, were originally issued from 1737 onwards in portfolios of four portraits. Between 1743 and 1752, the series was published by John and Paul Knapton in London in the form of Birch's The Heads of Illustrious Persons of Great Britain, and contained biographies alongside the portraits. The number of plates included varied from edition to edition. Although the majority contained 108 plates, some editions contained as many as 120. Houbraken was responsible for producing a large proportion of the portraits, with Vertue only engraving around seven. The ornamental surroundings featured on the plates were engraved prior to the portraits, and were done so by Hubert-François Gravelot.
  • Creator:
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 16.15 in (41 cm)Width: 10.52 in (26.7 cm)Depth: 0.02 in (0.5 mm)
  • Materials and Techniques:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    c.1750
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use. General age-related toning. Minor wear and soiling, blank verso. Please study image carefully.
  • Seller Location:
    Langweer, NL
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: BG-13360-251stDibs: LU3054332091102
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