| Method | Mezzotint |
| Artist | Henry Spicer after Sir Joshua Reynolds |
| Published | London, Printed for Robt, Sayer, Map & Printseller, at No.53 in Fleet Street. [1764] |
| Dimensions | Image 312 x 250 mm, Plate 354 x 250 mm, Sheet 375 x 283 mm |
| Notes |
A three-quarter length portrait of Barbara, Countess of Coventry. Barbara is depicted seated with her head turned to the left in three-quarter profile. She is leaning on the base of a pillar, which is covered by her fur-lined robe. Her right hand is holding onto her left wrist and her hair is adorned with a string of pearls. Barbara, Countess of Coventry (née St John) (active 1767 - 1804) was the second daughter of John St John, 11th Baron St John of Bletso and Elizabeth Crowley. In 1764 she married George Coventry, 6th Earl of Coventry who was a British Peer and politician. Henry Spicer was an English mezzotint and printmaker. Active in the 1760's, he engraved works after artists of the time including Sir Joshua Reynolds. Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792) was one of the most important figures of the eighteenth century art world. He was the first President of the Royal Academy and Britain's leading portrait painter. Through a series of lectures on the Discourses on Art at the Royal Academy he defined the style later known as the Grand Manner, an idealised Classical aesthetic. He had a profound impact on the theory and practice of art and helped to raise the status of portrait painting into the realm of fine art. A flamboyant socialite, Reynolds used his social contacts to promote himself and advance his career becoming one of the most prominent portrait painters of the period. Chaloner Smith 1, ii/ii, Hamilton 92, ii/ii, O'Donoghue 1, NPG D34192 Condition: 18 mm margin to right side, 10 mm to top and bottom, 15 mm to left side. |
| Framing | unmounted |
| Price | £200.00 |
| Stock ID | 46774 |