Richard Earlom, “Still Life of Fruit and Flowers”, 1723, after Jan van Huysum

Richard Earlom (aka Henry Birche) (1743–1822)

“Still Life of Fruit and Flowers”, or “A Fruit Piece” (as titled in the plate), 1723

Technical Details & Condition:

Mezzotint with stippling and etching on laid paper with a watermark. The sheet is trimmed with a small margin around the image borderline and publication details, and it is backed with a support sheet providing wide margins. 

This print is from the series “Houghton Gallery” and represents the final (third) state, featuring the title and publication details as issued. It is after an intermediary drawing by Joseph Farington (1747–1821), based on the painting (1723) by Jan van Huysum (1682–1749). The print was published in London by John Boydell (1719–1804) in 1781.

The impression is strong, richly inked, and well-printed. The sheet is in fair condition, with restored holes and tears.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 55.5 x 41.3 cm
• Image borderline: 50.5 x 39.4 cm

In-Plate Lettering:

• On stone ledge at left: “Jan Van Huysum / fecit 1723”.
• Lower left: “Van Huysum Pinxit. / Joseph Farington delin^t.”
• Lower centre (with coat of arms, “FARI QUÆ SENTIAT”): “John Boydell excudit 1781. / A FRUIT PIECE. / In the Cabinet at Houghton. / Size of the picture F[eet] 2,I[nches] 2 by F2, I7 high. / Published Sep^r. 1^st. 1781 by John Boydell Engraver in Cheapside London.”
• Lower right: “Rich^d. Earlom Sculpsit.”

References:

• Wessely 145 (Joseph Eduard Wessely, Richard Earlom: Verzeichniss seiner Radirungen und Schabkunstblätter, 1886, Hamburg, Haendcke & Lehmkuhl, p. 57, cat. no. 145)
• LeBlanc 54 (Charles Le Blanc, Manuel de l'amateur d'estampes, contenant un dictionnaire des graveurs de toutes les nations, 1856, vol. 2, p. 180, cat. no. 54)
• Rijksmuseum:  https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200148924
• British Museum: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1838-0420-206

Price & Shipping:

AU$678 (approximately US$467.23 / €405.50 / £354.12), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties (if any) are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you are interested in acquiring this breathtaking large mezzotint—one of the masterpieces of this technically demanding technique, requiring infinite skill and patience to capture the full spectrum of tones from sparkling whites and translucent greys to the darkest of velvety blacks—please contact me at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I’ll be happy to provide a PayPal invoice for a smooth and secure purchase.

This print has been sold 

Richard Earlom, “Diana and Her Nymphs”, 1787, after Giovanni Battista Cipriani

Richard Earlom (aka [pseud.] Henry Birche) (1743–1822)

“Diana and Her Nymphs”, 1787, number 36 in a series of 50 etchings after drawings by Giovanni Battista Cipriani (aka Giuseppe Cipriani; John Baptist Cipriani) (1727–1785), “A Collection of Prints after the Sketches and Drawings of the late Celebrated Giovanni Battista Cipriani, Esqr R.A.” (see https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.43533.html), published in London by John Boydell (1719–1804) and his nephew, Josiah Boydell (1752–1817).

The portrayed scene shows Diana, the Roman goddess of the hunt, standing at left holding her iconic bow and offering a rabbit to the closer of her four companion nymphs (see description of this print by the British Museum [inv. no. 1861,0518.369]).

Etching and aquatint on wove paper, trimmed around the image borderline with loss of publication details and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 24.2 x 32.7 cm.

Wessely 485 (J E Wessely 1886 “Richard Earlom, Verzeichniss seiner Radirungen und Schabkunstblätter”, Hamburg, cat. no. 485).

Condition: a strong impression trimmed around the image borderline and laid upon a support of archival (millennium quality) washi paper providing wide margins. The sheet is in an excellent condition with no tears, holes, folds or significant stains.

I am selling this seemingly loosely inscribed etching following a drawing by Giovanni Battista Cipriani—a founding member of the Royal Academy—for the total cost of AU$289 (currently/approximately US$191.44/EUR176.83/GBP147.63 at the time of this listing) including Express Mail (EMS) postage and handling to anywhere in the world, but not (of course) any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries. Note that payment is in Australian dollars (AU$289) as this is my currency.

If you are interested in purchasing this freely drawn composition revealing not only a haptic leaning to drawing (viz. drawing as if describing a form by the sense of touch rather than describing its superficial details) but also a deep knowledge of anatomy—note how the lines follow the course of muscles rather than defining a silhouette outline of the portrayed subjects—please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This print has been sold

Richard Earlom, “The West Window of the Chapel, New College Oxford”, 1785, after Sir Joshua Reynolds

Richard Earlom (aka [pseud.] Henry Birche) (1743–1822)

“The West Window of the Chapel, New College Oxford”, 1785, an open-letter proof before colour showing the Nativity, and a row of seven Saints and allegorical figures below (description by the British Museum [inv. no. Aa,13.42]), after the stained-glass window design by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723–1792), published in London by John Boydell (1719–1804),

Stipple engraving on laid paper trimmed around the image borderline and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 64.7 x 46.6cm.

Lettered in plate below the image borderline: (left) “Painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds.”; (left of centre) “Publish’d Sept^r. 1^st. 1785, by John Boydell.”; (centre [broken by the Oxford College coat of arms: “HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE/ MANNERS MAKYTH MAN”]) “John Boydell excudit 1785./ THE WEST WINDOW OF THE CHAPEL, NEW COLLEGE OXFORD./ Painted on Glas’s by M^r. Jervaise./ To the Rev^d. John Oglander, D.D. Warden, and to the Society of New College/ This PLATE is Dedicated by their Obliged humble Servant, John Boydell.”; (right of centre) “Engraver in Cheapside, London.”; (right) “Engraved by Richard Earlom.”

Wessely 6 (J E Wessely 1886 “Richard Earlom, Verzeichniss seiner Radirungen und Schabkunstblätter”, Hamburg, cat. no. 6).

Condition: a strong and well-printed impression trimmed around the image. The sheet has defects in keeping with its huge size (e.g., tears, restored chips and flattened folds), but these issues have been largely addressed by the sheet having been laid upon a support of archival (millennium quality) washi paper that also provides a margin.

I am selling this exceptionally rare (proof state) and large stipple engraving, for the total cost of AU$348 (currently/approximately US$232.67/EUR214.63/GBP178.75 at the time of this listing) including Express Mail (EMS) postage and handling to anywhere in the world, but not (of course) any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries. Note that payment is in Australian dollars (AU$348) as this is my currency.

If you are interested in purchasing this important engraving by Richard Earlom—described by the National Portrait Gallery in its biographical details about the artist, as one “of the greatest mezzotint and stipple engravers of his day”—please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This print has been sold

Richard Earlom’s mezzotint with etching, “A Flower Piece”, 1778, after Jan van Huysum

Richard Earlom (aka Henry Birche) (1743–1822)

“A Flower Piece” (aka “Floral Still Life” [Rijksmuseum title]), 1779, from the series, “Houghton Gallery”, after the intermediary drawing by Joseph Farington (1747–1821), after the painting (1722) by Jan van Huysum (1682–1749), published in London by John Boydell (1719–1804) in 1778.

Regarding the portrayed subject, the Rijksmuseum offers the following insights: “From around 1720, an international collection was not complete if it did not include a still life by Jan van Huysum. Sir Robert Walpole even owned four flower paintings by the master. This print was made after one of them. Van Huysum brought the art of floral still life painting to new heights, replacing the usual dark background with a park landscape, so that the flowers seem to be set on a ledge out of doors” (http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.70422).

Mezzotint with dot-roulette on laid paper trimmed close to the image borderline and publication details, backed with a support sheet.                         

Size: (sheet) 55.8 x 40.9 cm; (image borderline) 50.8 x 39.7 cm.

Inscribed in plate within the image borderline: (on stone ledge at right) “Jan Van Huysum fecit 1722”.

Lettered in plate below the image borderline: (left) “J. Van Huysum Pinx.t./ Joseph Farington delin^t..”; (centre with text broken by the coat of arms, “FARI QUÆ SENTIAT”) “A FLOWER PIECE./ In the Cabinet at Houghton./ published June, 25^th. 1778 by John Boydell Engraver in Cheapside London.”; (right) “Rich^d.. Earlom Sculpsit.”

State iii (of iii) with publication details.

Wessely 144 (Joseph Eduard Wessely 1886, “Richard Earlom: Verzeichniss seiner Radirungen und Schabkunstblätter”, Hamburg, Haendcke & Lehmkuhl); Rubinstein 59 (Gregory M Rubinstein 1991, “Richard Earlom (1743–1822) and Boydell's Houghton Gallery”, “Print Quarterly”, Vol VIII, London); LeBlanc 53; Andresen 41.

The British Museum offers the following description of this print: “A rich bouquet of flowers in a vase with classical reliefs, placed on a marble ledge in a park, beside it on the left is a small nest with bird's eggs, classical [sculpture] in the distance on the far right and a wide vase on a pedestal on the left; coat of arms at bottom” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1842-0806-207).

Condition: a strong impression with restorations especially in the margins where there are also replenished losses. The sheet has been laid upon an archival support sheet of millennium quality washi paper.

I am selling this exceptionally rare and large mezzotint—the flower pieces by Earlom are true masterworks of mezzotint requiring infinite skill and patience to capture the full spectrum of tones from sparkling whites, translucent soft greys to the darkest of velvety blacks of the portrayed flowers—for AU$662 (currently US$442.48/EUR400.36/GBP352.43 at the time of posting this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world (but not, of course, any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries).

If you are interested in purchasing this simply breathtaking mezzotint showing a floral display resting on a stone pedestal in what appears to be parklands with classical sculptures in the distance, complete with butterflies and a bird's nest with three eggs, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This print has been sold

Richard Earlom’s mezzotint with etching, “A Herb Market”, 1779, after Frans Snyders and Jan Boeckhorst

Richard Earlom (aka Henry Birche) (1743–1822)

“A Herb Market”, 1779, from the series, “Houghton Gallery”, after the intermediary drawing by Joseph Farington (1747–1821) after the painting in the Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg (inv. no. GE598) attributed to Frans Snyders (aka Senedre; Seneidre; Frans Snijders) (1579–1657) and Jan Boeckhorst (aka Johann Bockhorst; Jan Lange; John Long) (c.1604–1668), published in London by John Boydell (1719–1804) in 1779.

Mezzotint with stipple and etching on laid paper backed with a support sheet.                         

Size: (sheet) 46.6 x 62.6 cm; (plate) 41.5 x 57.5 cm; (image borderline) 35.7 x 57.9 cm.

Lettered on plate below the image borderline: (left) “Snyders & Long John Pinxerunt./ Joseph Farington delint./ Size of the picture, ^F6, ^I10 by ^F11, ^I2 in Length.”; (centre with text broken by the coat of arms, “FARI QUÆ SENTIAT”) “John Boydell excudit 1779/ A HERB MARKET./ In the Gallery at Houghton./ published Nov^r, 13^th. 1779 by John Boydell Engraver in Cheapside London.”; (right) “Rich^d. Earlom Scupsit.”

Lifetime impression of the published state by Boydell (1779).

Note that the British Museum has an early state of this print before the addition of mezzotint: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1867-0413-601.  

Wessely 111 (Joseph Eduard Wessely 1886, “Richard Earlom: Verzeichniss seiner Radirungen und Schabkunstblätter”, Hamburg, Haendcke & Lehmkuhl); Rubinstein 13 (Gregory M Rubinstein 1991, “Richard Earlom (1743–1822) and Boydell's Houghton Gallery”, “Print Quarterly”, Vol VIII, London).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“Two women on the right, haggling over vegetables, while a small urchin pickpockets one of them; stacks of produce on the left and right, wagon and houses in the background, a horse sniffs at some cabbage from the far left; coat of arms at bottom; after Frans Snyders and Jan Boeckhorst; published state. 1779 Mezzotint with stipple and etching” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1893-0612-93).

Condition: a superb impression showing very few signs of wear to the printing plate. Beyond minor issues in the margins (viz., the corners are rounded; there are pale marks and a fracture/tear on the upper edge), the sheet is in a very good condition for its considerable size and age, and it has been laid upon an archival support sheet of millennium quality washi paper.

I am selling this exceptionally rare and large masterwork of mezzotint, showing the full spectrum of tones from sparkling whites, translucent soft greys to the darkest of velvety blacks, for AU$597 (currently US$399.03/EUR361.05/GBP317.82 at the time of posting this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world (but not, of course, any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries).

If you are interested in purchasing this amazingly detailed view of a green-market stand with what must be close to the full-range of produce farmed in the 1600s (based on the dates of the original painters who crafted the composition), please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This print has been sold