STEEL ENGRAVING – “WHAT D’YE LACK, MADAM?  WHAT D’YE LACK?” from the painting by John Pettie, engraved by F.A. Heath, and published in 1884.  This engraving is in very good condition.  The engraving measures 10 ½” x 6 ½”, and is matted to 12” x 16” for easy framing.

John Pettie was appointed to the British Royal Academy in the mid 1800’s.  This painting was the means of introducing him to the public in London; it was sent to the British Royal Academy in 1861 from Edinburgh, where the artist then resided.  The originality and quaintness of the subject and its thoroughly artistic and clever treatment gained for him far more attention than did the “Armourers,” his contribution of the preceding year.  This small canvas takes us back to the London of some the 16th or 17^th Centuries, when tradesmen were accustomed to expose their goods in the pen thoroughfares, and to solicit purchases by word of mouth.  An apprentice is seen offering with his best grace to the passers by a tempting piece of silk and other of the more costly articles of ladies’ attire; he is himself very picturesquely dressed, and the expression of his face, into which much of the artist’s thought has necessarily been thrown, is most natural.  In spite of his straight unkempt hair he is evidently not unfitted to solicit custom from the fair belles of his day, nor may we refuse to acknowledge him a shrewd lad of business.  The materials he is offering for sale are probably the expensive merchandise of some Eastern mart; he does not show them as plain home-spun, with which the passer by might be presumed to have an acquaintance, but as things requiring to have their unknown, though perhaps patent, merits pointed out.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE

Antique prints, engravings, and lithographs are printing processes, which use steel, copper, stone or wood blocks or plates to produce a picture on paper.

Most antique prints and engravings, which are seen on the internet today, are bookplates.  Because they are pages from a book, there are multiple copies in existence.  This does not, however, mean that they are "reproductions" that have been printed recently.  Because they were, at some point, part of books, some have been preserved in excellent condition, while others show signs of age, as yellow spots or darkness on the edge of the page from being handled.

Engravings, and lithographs are high quality pieces of art, as it took a highly trained artist many hours of work to produce one.  Although there may be multiple copies still in existence, the date of the item should be stated, thus giving the buyer an idea of its age.