Gentleman in a Full Bottomed Wig, Baroque Portrait, Copper Engraving, circa 1750
€ 120
Original antique · The actual sheet photographed · Certificate of authenticity on request · Sold unframed · Worldwide shipping from € 15 (rates)
Date
circa 1750
Mapmaker / artist
Unsigned copper engraving
Publisher
Not named on the sheet
Technique
Copper engraving
Coloring
Uncolored
Sheet size
14 × 12 cm (5.5 × 4.7 in)
Condition
Good
Reference
BG-14343-72
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 condition for its age. Image laid onto a larger sheet; scattered foxing to the margins; stain, pencil and red ink inscriptions and a small chip at the lower right. Image clean. Please review the images for further condition details.
About this sheet
A handsome eighteenth century portrait of a gentleman of rank, engraved on copper and shown half length, turned slightly to the right, with a confident half smile. He wears a long, full bottomed wig of tight curls falling over both shoulders, a lace cravat and jabot at the throat, a waistcoat buttoned down the front and a coat of richly figured silk, over which a voluminous cloak of patterned brocade is thrown back from the shoulders in deep folds.
The engraver has given full attention to the textures of the costume. The curls of the wig are built up in lively, swelling lines, the lace is rendered in delicate open work, and the flowered brocade of the coat and cloak is worked in close patterns that catch the light. The face is modeled in fine, careful hatching, and the background is laid in an even dark tone of ruled lines that sets off the pale wig and lace.
The image has been trimmed to its border and laid onto a larger sheet of paper, so the lettering that once named the sitter and the artists no longer survives. An old collector's note in pencil in the lower margin reads "Frankreich", German for France, with a stock number in red ink, suggesting the print was once filed with French portraits in a German collection. The costume, with the full wig worn long over the shoulders and the lace cravat, belongs to the first half of the eighteenth century, the age of Louis XV and of the courts of Germany.
Even without a name, this is a fine example of the courtly portrait engraving of the period, valued for its rich surface and assured drawing. It will appeal to collectors of baroque portraiture and costume, and it would make a distinguished picture for a study, library or hallway, framed in a dark or gilt molding.
This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed. Any framed or interior images are shown for presentation and inspiration only, unless the listing explicitly states that the item is sold framed.
