| Method | Mezzotint |
| Artist | [Anonymous] |
| Published | Printed for Carington Bowles No.69 in St. Pauls Church Yard London. [n.d. c. 1790] |
| Dimensions | Image 138 x 112 mm, Plate 152 x 115 mm |
| Notes |
A rare miniature mezzotint droll depicting a young man standing in a tavern doorway decorated with a chequer board design (possibly The Chequers Tavern in Duke Street, London). The gentleman holds a foaming tankard of beer, smokes a pipe, and is holding a walking stick or cane under his arm. The title of the print references the figure's drinking habits: 'Na'ppy'[sic] referring to any strong alcoholic drink, but especially heady beer. 'Toping' originating from tope, meaning to drink alcohol to excess, especially on a regular basis, and 'Buck' used to describe a fashionable and spirited young man. 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. Carington Bowles (1790) 213, Lennox-Boyd i/i, Condition: Good impression. Light vertical crease to sheet, dirt build-up to margins. Date erased from end of publication line. Framed in a simple oak frame. |
| Framing | framed |
| Price | £280.00 |
| Stock ID | 51686 |