J. A. Roebuck, Steel Engraving by Auguste Hüssener, Berlin, circa 1845

About this sheet

This steel engraved portrait shows John Arthur Roebuck (1801 to 1879), the radical British Member of Parliament, half length and turned slightly to the right, with thick wavy hair, side whiskers, a dark stock tied in a bow and a high collared waistcoat beneath a heavy coat. The bust is vignetted against the white of the sheet, and the plate mark encloses a generous margin.

Below the portrait is a facsimile of the sitter's signature, "J. A. Roebuck", and at lower right, just under the coat, the plate is lettered "Auguste Hüssener sc. Berlin". Auguste Hüssener (1789 to 1877) was a Berlin engraver of portraits and one of the few women working professionally on the copper and steel plate in Germany in the first half of the nineteenth century. Her portraits were made for German publishers of biographical works and periodicals, which explains why a British politician should appear here engraved in Berlin.

Roebuck was born in Madras and brought up in Canada before settling in England, where he was called to the bar and entered Parliament for Bath in 1832. He was later member for Sheffield for many years. A forceful and independent speaker, he is best remembered for his motion of January 1855 for an inquiry into the conduct of the Crimean War, whose passage brought down the government of Lord Aberdeen.

The engraver has worked the coat in a dense crosshatched mesh while keeping the face in fine stippled tone, so the head stands out with real presence. The portrait would suit a collection of Victorian political portraits, a study or a library, and is of interest to collectors of women engravers.

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.