NON-SENSE AND SENSIBILITY
(British Drawings and Prints of Two Centuries – Plus a Few Precursors)
(British Drawings and Prints of Two Centuries – Plus a Few Precursors)
- Laroon, The Quarrel
- Hollar, Glastoniensis
- Hollar, Landscape with Herdsmen
- Smith, Mr. Will: Richards
- Hogarth, Southwark Fair
- Smith, The Virgin Mary
- Hogarth, Midnight Modern
- Robinson, Banquet Piece
- att. to Vanderbank, Senesino
- Beauclerk, Street Musicians
- Haward, Mrs. Siddons
- Gillray, Comfort to the Corns
- Cheesman, The Seamstress
- Anonymous, Diamond
- Rowlandson, Gaffers
- Bartolozzi, Miss Farren
- Anonymous, Beatrice Fishing
- Say, Miss Mellon
- Rowlandson, The Poacher
- Smith, Narcissa
- Cruikshank, The Cholic
- Vendramini, Strawberrys, Scarlet
- Cruikshank, A Catalanian PicNic
- Morland, Peasants Resting
- Cruikshank, Sales by Auction!
- Daniell, Joseph Haydn
- Williams, Leap Year
- Finch, In the Park
- Cruikshank, A Consultation
- Anonymous, Duck Shooting
- Heath, A Pleasant Draught
- O’Neill, The Mill
- Cruikshank, Hint to the Blind
- Craig, Trees
- Heath, Blessing of Cheap Cider
- Calvert, The Brook
- Calvert, Cottage and Trees
- Lisle, I’d be a butterfly
- Palmer, Early Plowman
- Leitch, Shepherd
- Whistler, La Vieille aux Loques
- Haden, A Water Meadow
- Whistler, The Brothers
- Cameron, The Palace
- Strang, The Cause of the Poor
- Detmold, Long-Eared Bat
- Detmold, Phoenix
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20. John Raphael Smith (1752-1812) Narcissa |
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(click on image to print)
Narcissa
Stipple engraving, 1787, Frankau 256 ii/ii; British Museum N.D., 303 x 221 mm. Fine impression printed in sepia on brownish laid paper with narrow margins; a repaired tear in the right plate margin just crossing the borderline. Smith, who was apparently self taught as both painter and engraver, and after a career as a linen-draper, achieved fame and fortune as one of the greatest mezzotint interpreters of British paintings, Reynolds, Romney and the like. But as he was a painter and pastellist himself, he also worked after his own designs, in both mezzotint and stipple. Even in the late eighteenth century, no one could mistake Narcissa for profound art or praise its psychological penetration. But it was the sort of image that satisfied a certain public need at the time (like Warhol’s Marilyns today?) and technically, it was superbly well done. One wouldn’t sniff on seeing it on a parlor wall.
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$300.00 |  |
