Horace Walpole
Print
1757 (printed)
1757 (printed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
This object is a print of a type known as a mezzotint, a form of tonal engraving in which the design is made by pitting the surface of a metal plate with a serrated tool called a rocker, then smoothing and scraping the roughened surface so that different areas of the plate will hold varying quantities of ink. This creates a range of velvety tones and white highlights when the image is printed on to paper.
Subjects Depicted
This mezzotint reproduces a painted portrait of Horace Walpole. He is shown leaning his head thoughtfully on one hand, with his elbow resting on a table. Also present in the picture are a pen and a row of books, artefacts associated with writers and men of letters. Walpole commissioned the print hanging over the edge of the table, showing an eagle. This eagle was one of Walpole's prized possessions, as it was an antique marble sculpture excavated near the Baths of Caracalla in Rome. Walpole purchased it in the mid -1740s, a few years after returning from visiting Italy on the Grand Tour.
Trading
This print was a private plate. Instead of examples of the print being sold on the open market by either James McArdell or a printseller, they all became the property of the person who commissioned them, Horace Walpole. This meant that Walpole could control who got hold of the prints by distributing them to his friends and acquaintances as and when he saw fit.
This object is a print of a type known as a mezzotint, a form of tonal engraving in which the design is made by pitting the surface of a metal plate with a serrated tool called a rocker, then smoothing and scraping the roughened surface so that different areas of the plate will hold varying quantities of ink. This creates a range of velvety tones and white highlights when the image is printed on to paper.
Subjects Depicted
This mezzotint reproduces a painted portrait of Horace Walpole. He is shown leaning his head thoughtfully on one hand, with his elbow resting on a table. Also present in the picture are a pen and a row of books, artefacts associated with writers and men of letters. Walpole commissioned the print hanging over the edge of the table, showing an eagle. This eagle was one of Walpole's prized possessions, as it was an antique marble sculpture excavated near the Baths of Caracalla in Rome. Walpole purchased it in the mid -1740s, a few years after returning from visiting Italy on the Grand Tour.
Trading
This print was a private plate. Instead of examples of the print being sold on the open market by either James McArdell or a printseller, they all became the property of the person who commissioned them, Horace Walpole. This meant that Walpole could control who got hold of the prints by distributing them to his friends and acquaintances as and when he saw fit.
Delve deeper
Discover more about this object
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Horace Walpole (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Mezzotint, ink on paper |
| Brief description | Print, three-quarter length portrait of Horace Walpole. Mezzotint by James McArdell after Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1757. |
| Physical description | Portrait, three-quarter length, standing, with left hand on hip and right elbow leaning on a table. On the table are papers, books and an ink-well. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Styles | |
| Marks and inscriptions |
|
| Gallery label | British Galleries:
Horace Walpole commissioned this print of his portrait by Joshua Reynolds. It shows him, aged about 40, as a collector and man of letters. The print seen on the table was commissioned by Walpole to illustrate his most prized possession, an antique marble eagle excavated in Rome, which he had bought in 1745.(27/03/2003) |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | Object Type This object is a print of a type known as a mezzotint, a form of tonal engraving in which the design is made by pitting the surface of a metal plate with a serrated tool called a rocker, then smoothing and scraping the roughened surface so that different areas of the plate will hold varying quantities of ink. This creates a range of velvety tones and white highlights when the image is printed on to paper. Subjects Depicted This mezzotint reproduces a painted portrait of Horace Walpole. He is shown leaning his head thoughtfully on one hand, with his elbow resting on a table. Also present in the picture are a pen and a row of books, artefacts associated with writers and men of letters. Walpole commissioned the print hanging over the edge of the table, showing an eagle. This eagle was one of Walpole's prized possessions, as it was an antique marble sculpture excavated near the Baths of Caracalla in Rome. Walpole purchased it in the mid -1740s, a few years after returning from visiting Italy on the Grand Tour. Trading This print was a private plate. Instead of examples of the print being sold on the open market by either James McArdell or a printseller, they all became the property of the person who commissioned them, Horace Walpole. This meant that Walpole could control who got hold of the prints by distributing them to his friends and acquaintances as and when he saw fit. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 22285 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | March 27, 2003 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
