| Method | Mezzotint |
| Artist | James Watson after Philippe Mercier |
| Published | Printed for Carington Bowles, Map & Printseller at No.69 St. Pauls Church Yard, London [n.d. c.1790] |
| Dimensions | Image 237 x 351 mm, Plate 256 x 353 mm, Sheet 266 x 366 mm |
| Notes |
A mezzotint print after one of Philippe Mercier's paintings of the five senses, in this case "The Sense of Hearing". The print depicts a group of female musicians in fine period dress playing the Harpsicord, Flute, Violin, and Violoncello. In the original painting the scores on the harpsichord are marked "Hendel [sic] Operas" and "Geminiani's Sonates.[sic]", the continental composers George Frideric Handel and Francesco Geminiani, had both made their careers in London. The painting is now in the collection at Yale Centre for British Art. James Watson (c.1740-1790) was born in Ireland. As a young man he moved to London, where he studied mezzotint engraving. He became one of the leading mezzotint engravers of the day. His work included fifty-six plates after the paintings of Joshua Reynolds. The majority of Watson's work was produced for Sayer, Boydell and other printsellers but he published some plates himself. Watson exhibited at the Society of Artists from 1762 to 1775, during which time he was regarded as a master in his field. Philippe Mercier (c.1689-1760) was a French painter and engraver, who lived and worked principally in London. The son of a Huguenot tapestry worker, Mercier was born in Berlin, where he studied painting at the Akademie der Wissenschaften, and later under Antoine Pesne. He travelled to Italy and France before settling in London in 1716. Painter to Frederick Prince of Wales (1729-36), Mercier mainly specialised in portraits, but in later years he made pictures in the manner of Watteau for engraving. His wife Dorothy ran a print shop in London, and his son Philip Mercier Jnr. also became a printmaker. The printer and publisher Carington Bowles (1724 - 1793) was the son of the printer John Bowles, to whom he was apprenticed in 1741. In 1752 until c.1762, they became a partnership known as John Bowles & Son, at the Black Horse, Cornhill, London. Carington left the partnership in order to take over the business of his uncle, Thomas Bowles II in St Paul's Churchyard. When Carington died in 1793 the business passed to his son (Henry) Carington Bowles. Goodwin 196, Carrington Bowles (1784) 245, Carington Bowles (1790) 248, Lennox-Boyd iii/iii Condition: Small repaired surface abrasion to elbow of violinist, small repaired puncture to top margin. Toning to margins from previous mount. |
| Framing | unmounted |
| Price | £450.00 |
| Stock ID | 51770 |