STEEL ENGRAVING – “THE ROYAL PRINCESSES: CHILDREN OF GEORGE III” from the painting by John Singleton Copley, engraved by R. Graves, printed in 1885.  This engraving is in very good condition.  The engraving measures 10” x 7”, and is matted to 12” x 16” for easy framing.

    The engraving was painted for George III., King of England, and exhibited at the British Royal Academy in 1785: it was first placed into the collection of Buckingham Palace.  It is one of the graceful portrait-groups we have ever seen from the hands of any artist; nothing constrained or artificial appears in the composition, and, if we may so speak of it, the consensus in unum of the objects portrayed in unusually correct.

   John Singleton Copley was born at Boston, in the United States in 1737, and there practiced painting – portraits chiefly, many of which were exhibited at the British Royal Academy so that his reputation was tolerably well established by the time he reached England.  West, his fellow–countryman, was then President of the Academy, and had promised, if he came over, to aid him, so far as he could, to gain admission into that institution, and to introduce him to the chief patrons of art; and kept his word.  In 1777 Copley was elected Associate, and in 1773 Academician.  But Copley is known to us through his celebrated son, Lord Lyndhurst: indirectly, as the father of the great Tory Lord Chancellor; more directly, because Lord Lyndhurst himself collected very many of the pictures painted by his parent.

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.

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