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Sunday, 2 November 2025

Valentine Green, “Pope Innocent X”, 1774, after Velázquez

Valentine Green (1739–1813)

“Pope Innocent X”— Giovanni Battista Pamphilj (aka Pamphili) (1574–1655), 1774, from the series, “Houghton Gallery”, after the design by the intermediate draughtsman, George Farington (1752–1788) after Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez’s (1599–1660) famous painting, published in London by John Boydell (1719–1804).

Mezzotint printed in brown ink on fine laid paper.

Size: (sheet) 17.4 x 12.3 cm; (plate) 15.1 x 10 cm; (image borderline) 12 x 10 cm.

Lettered in plate below the image borderline: (left) “Velasco Pinxit./ G.Farington delint.”; (centre) “J.Boydell exudit. 1774/ INNOCENT [Dobson's crest with moto “FARI QUÆ SENTIAT”] THE TENTH./ In the Cabinet […] at Houghton/ Size of the Picture 1F T.3 ½ by 1 FT.6 ¾ in height […]/ published Octr. 30th, 1st by John […] Boydell Engraver in Cheapside London.”; (right) “Val:Green fecit.”

Smith 73 (John Chaloner Smith 1878, “British mezzotinto portraits: being a descriptive catalogue of these engravings from the introduction of the art to the early part of the present century…”, vol. 3, London, H. Sotheran, p. 566, cat, no. 73 [see https://archive.org/details/britishmezzotint02smit_0/page/566/mode/2up]); LeBlanc 100; Whitman 47.

The British Museum offers the following description of this print: “Portrait, bust, three-quarter to right, with a small beard and moustache, wearing a white collar over the neck of his cape and a cap shaped like a soft fez, looking out of the corner of his eye towards the viewer; after Velasquez. 1774/ Mezzotint” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1902-1011-2317).

Condition: a richly inked and near faultless impression in an excellent condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, or stains.

Price & Shipping: AU$304 in total (approximately US$199.06 / €207.61 / £151.36172.44), including worldwide express shipping. Please note that import duties are the buyer's responsibility.

If you are interested in purchasing this exquisite, jewel-like mezzotint after Velázquez's renowned painting of Pope Innocent X—later reinterpreted in Francis Bacon’s memorable “Study after Velázquez’s Portrait of Pope Innocent X” (1953)—please contact me at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I will gladly send you a PayPal invoice to facilitate a secure and easy transaction.

Please note that I have previously posted another mezzotint by Valentine Green from the same series: https://www.printsandprinciples.com/2023/01/valentine-greens-mezzotint-dobsons.html.

This print has been sold