| Method | Mezzotint |
| Artist | Charles Corbutt (Richard Purcell) after Sir Joshua Reynolds |
| Published | Printed for Robt. Sayer at the Golden Buck; near Serjeants Inn Fleet Street. [c.1755] |
| Dimensions | Image 135 x 111 mm, Plate 152 x 112 mm, Sheet 168 x 131 mm |
| Notes |
Half-length portrait of Miss Muse, or Meux, after a painting by Reynolds. The sitter looks of to the left and is depicted in fine period dress, a flounced dress, a flat hat, and pearls around her neck. Although titled "Miss Muse" she remains an unidentified sitter. Charles Corbutt was a pseudonym used by the Irish engraver Richard Purcell when plagiarising the work of others, usually for the publisher Robert Sayer. 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. Robert Sayer (1725-1794) was one of the most prolific and successful British publishers, cartographers, and print-sellers of the Georgian era. Following his brother's marriage to the daughter in law of the publisher John Overton, Sayer continued the business, branching out into sea charts, maritime atlases, and general maps. In addition to his cartographic achievements, Sayer was also instrumental in growing the public taste for prints after paintings, particularly those by Johan Zoffany, with whom he developed a lifelong friendship as well as a lucrative business partnership. Following his death, the business was continued by Laurie and Whittle. O'Donoghue 2, Chaloner Smith 58, Hamilton p.121, Lennox-Boyd i/i Condition: Light pressed crease running right down side of sheet, graingerised. Framed in a period style frame. |
| Framing | framed |
| Price | £250.00 |
| Stock ID | 40123 |