Gainsborough's Blue Boy orders - Mezzotint

This beautiful mezzotint from Samuel Arlent Edwards is originally attributed to Thomas Gainsborough. The overall size of this print is 15x20 inches overall, the actual image size is approximately 7x13 inches. Imprinted in a gorgeous sepia tone and on very sturdy watercolor-like paper. Strong plate mark. Signed in pencil by Samuel Arlent Edwards.

Gainsborough's The Blue Boy, portrays Jonathan Buttall, the son of a successful hardware merchant, who was a close friend of the artist. The work was executed during Gainsborough's extended stay in Bath before he finally settled in London in 1774.

The artist has dressed the young man in a costume dating from about 140 years before the portrait was painted. This type of costume was familiar through the portraits of the great Flemish painter, Anthony van Dyck (1559-1641), who was resident in England during the early 17th century. Gainsborough greatly admired the work of Van Dyck and seems to have conceived The Blue Boy as an act of homage to that master.

This mezzotint has been stored flat for years and will be mailed that way with double foamcore protection. In excellent condition. If you want to know more about mezzotints, check this out: http://www.smith.edu/artmuseum/Collections/Cunningham-Center/Blog-paper-people/The-Age-of-Mezzotint.

Shipping may seem high orders, but I buy thick foamcore to ship each mezzotint, and that alone is $10.