George Smith of Chichester’s etching, “Winter landscape with ruin, bridge and cottage”, 1767

George Smith of Chichester (1714-1776)—one of the three brothers known as “The Smiths of Chichester”

Note that the inscription on the plate also includes George’s brother, John Smith of Chichester (1717–1764), but John had passed away before the execution of this plate.

“Winter landscape with ruin, bridge and cottage” (descriptive title only; see http://www.rareoldprints.com/p/10376), 1767, from a series of 53 etchings and engravings after John and George Smith’s paintings “and other masters” published in London by John Boydell (1719-1804) in 1770. For more information about this publication see the details offered by the Curator of the British Museum: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1864-1114-235.

Etching and engraving on fine China paper, trimmed around the image borderline and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 11.6 x 14 cm.

Inscribed on plate below the image borderline: “Geo & Jo:o Smith Chichester 1767”.

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

View of a village with a ruin, by a river, in a rain: a figure behind a fence outside a cottage in the left foreground, the river running from the left background to the right foreground, two figures seen from behind walking towards an arch on the opposite bank, smoke rising from a cottage in the middle distance, the ruin with an arched window behind, an arched bridge in the left background, bare trees scattering”

(https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1861-1012-2549).

Condition: a well-printed impression showing no sign of wear to the printing plate, trimmed around the image borderline (but retaining the inscribed publication details) and laid upon an archival support sheet of millennium quality washi paper. The sheet is in an excellent condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, stains, foxing or signs of handling.

I am selling this strong 18^th century etching of a wintery landscape with what I suspect may be a ruined abbey in the distance and possibly a hint of rain in the sky for AU$269 (currently US$202.23/EUR166.36/GBP151.62 at the time of 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 remarkable English landscape that pictorially appears serene and calm, but psychologically (at least in my reading of it) is underpinned thorny anxiety projected by the twisted forms of the leafless trees in the near foreground, 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