Ralph Bernal Osborne Caricature – Vanity Fair Statesmen No. 49, 1870

€ 300

Original antique · The actual sheet photographed · Certificate of authenticity on request · Sold unframed · Worldwide shipping from € 15 (rates)

Date: 1870
Mapmaker / artist: Alfred Thompson (ATN), London, 1870
Technique: Chromolithograph
Sheet size: 35.5 × 22.1 cm (14.0 × 8.7 in)
Condition: Good
Reference: BG-14156-31

What the condition grades mean

Excellent: Bright and clean, with no faults worth mentioning.
Very good: Only light signs of age, such as faint toning.
Good: Normal signs of age for a sheet of this period: toning, some foxing, small marks or neat old repairs.
Fair: Clear faults such as staining, tears or repairs, priced to match.

Every fault we see is written in the condition note, and the whole sheet is shown uncropped in the photos.

Condition

Good original condition with light overall age toning consistent with 19th-century paper. No significant losses or repairs observed.

About this sheet

Ralph Bernal Osborne Caricature – Vanity Fair Statesmen No. 49, 1870
This original chromolithograph caricature was published in Vanity Fair on May 28, 1870, as part of the influential Statesmen series. The sitter is Ralph Bernal Osborne (1808–1882), a Liberal politician who served as First Secretary of the Admiralty and was a prominent figure in mid-Victorian political life. The caricature is titled “The smart critic.”

The portrait was drawn by Alfred Thompson, known by the signature “ATN,” one of the leading early artists associated with Vanity Fair. Thompson’s style is distinguished by its restraint and psychological observation, favoring gesture, posture, and expression over exaggerated distortion. In this composition, Osborne is shown mid-gesture, with raised finger and confident stance, conveying authority, intellect, and rhetorical assurance.

Vanity Fair’s Statesmen series was conceived as both social commentary and visual record, portraying leading figures of British public life at the height of the magazine’s cultural influence. Early issues such as this 1870 example are particularly sought after, as they represent the formative years of Vanity Fair caricature before the later, more overtly theatrical style became dominant.

Originally issued within the magazine, these chromolithographs were frequently removed and framed shortly after publication. Today they are collected as individual works of Victorian political art and remain highly decorative additions to libraries, studies, and classic interiors.

Condition:
Good original condition with light overall age toning consistent with 19th-century paper. No significant losses or repairs observed.

Framing tips:
An ivory or warm cream mat board complements the subtle background tones. A dark walnut, ebonized, or black-stained wooden frame provides a dignified, period-appropriate presentation.

Dimensions:
13 1/2 x 8 3/8 inches (342 x 214 mm), overall