| Method | Mezzotint |
| Artist | after George Willison |
| Published | Printed for John Bowles, at No.13 in Cornhill. [c.1770] |
| Dimensions | Image 129 x 112 mm, Plate 150 x 113 mm, Sheet 241 x 146 mm |
| Notes |
A rich, dark, impression of this mezzotint portrait of a young woman dressed in fine period dress, with a ribbon hat, lace trimmed shawl, and a décolleté dress with a bow at the bodice. The title identifies the lady as a Miss Eybright, however nothing is know about this sitter. The print is a reduced copy of a larger mezzotint by Richard Purcell after George Willson, depicting the sitter facing the opposite direction. George Willison (1741 - 1797) was a Scottish portrait painter. He was the son of the Edinburgh printer and publisher David Willison, and the grandson of the evangelical minister John Willison. His uncle George Dempster of Dunnichen sent him to Rome where he studied art. He stayed there between 1760 and 1767, and worked initially under Raphael Mengs. Willison also travelled in India, where he painted portraits of princes and their families. Between 1767 and 1777, he exhibited about 25 portraits at the Royal Academy. A number of Willison's portraits were engraved by Valentine Green and James Watson. John Bowles (c.1701-1779) was a British printmaker and publisher, and a member of the prolific and numerous Bowles family of printmakers. The second son of Thomas Bowles I, he established a publishing house in his own name following the passing of the family business to his older brother Thomas Bowles II after their father's death. In 1752, his son Carington joined the business, which traded under the name John Bowles & Son until 1764, when Carington took over the running of the original Bowles publishing house from his uncle, Thomas Bowles II. John Bowles specialised in mezzotint, especially portraits, though he also produced numerous topographical series and genre scenes. Chaloner Smith undescribed, Lennox-Boyd i/i Condition: Good dark impression, surface dirt and staining to margins not affecting image. |
| Framing | unmounted |
| Price | £175.00 |
| Stock ID | 12948 |