Richard Earlom’s mezzotint, “A Fruit Piece”, 1776

Richard Earlom (aka Henry Birche) (1743–1822)

“A Fruit Piece”, 1776, from the series, “Houghton Gallery”, after the intermediary drawing by Joseph Farington (1747–1821) after the painting by Michelangelo di Campidoglio (aka Michelangelo di Pace) (1610–1670), published by John Boydell (1719–1804) in 1776.

Mezzotint with stipple and etching on laid paper.                         

Size: (sheet) 37.3 x 41.7 cm; (plate) 30.5 x 35.2 cm; (image borderline) 26.5 x 35 cm.

Lettered on plate below the image borderline: (left) M. Angelo Campidoglio Pinxit. / Joseph Farington delint.”; (centre with text broken by the coat of arms, “FARI QUÆ SENTIAT”) John Boydel excudit 1776 / A FRUIT PIECE. / In the Marble Parlour at Houghton. / size of the Picture […] in Length. / Published Septr. 30th. 1776 by John Boydell Engraver in Cheapside London."; (right) “Richd. Earlom Scupsit.”

Lifetime impression of the published state by Boydell (1776).

Wessely 1886 148 (Joseph Eduard Wessely 1886, “Richard Earlom: Verzeichniss seiner Radirungen und Schabkunstblätter”, Hamburg, Haendcke & Lehmkuhl); Rubinstein 1991 41 (Gregory M Rubinstein 1991, “Richard Earlom (1743–1822) and Boydell's Houghton Gallery”, “Print Quarterly”, Vol VIII, London).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“A basket on a stone step, grapes on the vine, apples, figs and other fruit spilling from it and lying on the ground, a lizard in the foreground at right, the base of a pyramid in the background at right; coat of arms at bottom”

(https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1623851&partId=1&searchText=earlom+a+fruit+piece&page=1)

Condition: superb early impression showing very few signs of wear to the printing plate. The sheet is in excellent condition for its considerable age and has generous margins and a collector’s ink stamp verso.

I am selling this exceptionally rare still life masterwork of mezzotint, showing the full spectrum of tones from sparkling whites, translucent soft greys to the darkest of velvety blacks, for AU$556 (currently US$397.80/EUR350.06/GBP301.53 at the time of posting this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world (but not, of course, any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries).

If you are interested in purchasing this stunningly beautiful still life seldom seen on the art market, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy

This print has been sold