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John Sartain
Famous Portaits of George and Martha Washington after Gilbert Stuart

1865

$2,500
£1,927.04
€2,305.14
CA$3,635.68
A$3,748.10
CHF 2,129.64
MX$47,444.14
NOK 24,387.37
SEK 25,548.79
DKK 17,232.30

About the Item

John Sartain (1808-1897) after Gilbert Stuart (1755-1828) George Washington and Martha Washington, A Pair Mezzotints, handsomely framed in period style reproduction frames with silk matting a gilt fillets Both Signed in pencil by Sartain lower left (see photos) each signed in pencil by John Sartain. Proof impressions before the engraved titles, retaining the engraved artist’s and engraver’s credits and the Bradley publication/copyright inscriptions, as described Condition: Excellent, a few tiny stains Image size: 10 5/8 x 8 3/4 inches (see photos) Frames size: 27 1/2 x 24 1/4 inches each (see photos) Pencil signed proofs before titles Published by Bradley & Company, Philadelphia The Gilbert Stuart paintings are in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery, Washington Reference: W. S. Baker, The Engraved Portraits of Washington (Philadelphia, 1880), p. 156, no. 325, for the George Washington portrait, subject to visual confirmation. Baker gives image dimensions of 10½ × 8¾ inches; these describe the composition rather than necessarily the full plate These companion portraits unite Gilbert Stuart’s enduring images of George and Martha Washington with the tonal refinement of John Sartain’s mezzotint engraving. Conceived for display together, the pair presents the Washingtons as both national figures and a married couple, bringing the imagery of the founding generation into the domestic interior. Their appeal rests in the combination of recognizable likenesses, restrained presentation, and the rich blacks and delicate transitions of tone characteristic of mezzotint. The underlying portrait tradition originated in Stuart’s celebrated paintings of the Washingtons. In 1796 Martha commissioned companion portraits of herself and the president for Mount Vernon. Stuart retained the unfinished paintings, now known as the Athenaeum portraits, using George’s likeness as the basis for subsequent versions. The original paintings are jointly owned by the National Portrait Gallery and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Without photographs of your prints, the precise relationship of Sartain’s compositions to these originals or to Stuart’s replicas should remain qualified. Sartain was particularly well suited to translating painted portraits into prints. Born in London, he settled in Philadelphia in 1830 and became a prominent engraver and participant in the city’s artistic institutions. His career included a long association with the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and work for the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition of 1876. Mezzotint offered him a means of suggesting the softness of flesh, the weight of clothing, and the atmospheric depth of a painted background through graduated light and shade. John Sartain (1808–1897) was one of nineteenth-century America’s leading mezzotint engravers, particularly admired for translating painted portraits into richly shaded prints. Born in London, he began his apprenticeship with the engraver John Swaine in 1823 and subsequently married Swaine’s daughter, Susannah. The couple emigrated to Philadelphia in 1830, where Sartain established a career closely connected with the city’s painters, publishers, and artistic institutions. Sartain’s importance lies in his revival and popularization of mezzotint in the United States. Although sometimes credited with introducing the process to America, he had earlier American predecessors; “revived” or “popularized” is therefore more precise. The Philadelphia Museum of Art emphasizes his role in renewing a technique already long favored in England for reproducing paintings. Its ability to move smoothly from deep black through subtle grays to luminous highlights made mezzotint especially effective for portraiture. In mezzotint, the plate is roughened to hold ink, then selectively scraped and burnished to produce lighter passages. Sartain frequently combined its tonal effects with etched, engraved, and stippled work. This approach allowed him to suggest the softness of skin, the texture of fabric, and the depth of a painted background while retaining precise facial features. The Free Library’s exhibition documents such combinations throughout his career, including portraits after John Neagle and Franz Xaver Winterhalter. Working with prominent painters, including Thomas Sully, Henry Inman, and Neagle, Sartain helped circulate their portraits beyond the owners of the original canvases. His production is estimated at more than 1,500 prints, ranging from separately published engravings to illustrations for Godey’s Lady’s Book, Graham’s Magazine, and the Eclectic Magazine. He also became a publisher: Sartain’s Union Magazine of Literature and Art, issued from 1849 to 1852, published contributions by leading writers, including Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Bells.” His influence extended through his children Emily, Samuel, and William, who pursued artistic careers, and through his institutional work in Philadelphia. He served as art director of the 1876 Centennial Exposition. In 1997 the Philadelphia Museum of Art marked the centenary of his death with Mezzotints by John Sartain: Philadelphia Printmaker, 1808–1897, drawn entirely from its own collection—an indication of the depth of its holdings and his continuing significance in American print history. For your particular George and Martha Washington pair, I have not yet verified a museum holding of the full-size Bradley publication, or of its pencil-signed proofs before title. The institutional records located require these distinctions: Institution Documented holding Relationship to your pair Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts John Sartain, George Washington, Martha Washington, mid-nineteenth century; mezzotint, etching, engraving, and stipple; accession 1948.23.774, Bequest of Dr. Paul J. Sartain Two small compositions, each approximately 3⁷⁄₁₆ × 2¼ inches. This is a different, smaller work, not confirmation of your Bradley pair. Philadelphia Museum of Art A collection of Sartain mezzotints sufficient to supply its 1997 exhibition Confirms substantial holdings of his work, but the exhibition record does not identify your pair. Smithsonian American Art Museum John Sartain after Edward Savage, George Washington and His Family, c.1865; accession 1966.48.56
  • Creator:
    John Sartain (1808 - 1897, American)
  • Creation Year:
    1865
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 27.5 in (69.85 cm)Width: 24.25 in (61.6 cm)Depth: 2 in (5.08 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
    Very fine condition, very slight spotting, archival framing wiith fillet and silk matting by Hackman Frames, Columbus, Ohio.
  • Gallery Location:
    Fairlawn, OH
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: FA36751stDibs: LU14018768422

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