Robert Cooper after Adam Buck (1759–1833) - 1809 Stipple Engraving Step By Step

Description

A heartwarming stipple engraving, carved by Robert Cooper after the original drawings by Adam Buck. The scene shows a beautiful young mother in Buck's typical Grecian style, holding out a supportive hand to her young child, taking their first steps. The engraving is finished with an inscribed poem and title, below which is the artist and engraver's names and the publisher's details and date. The engraving is presented in a gilt frame with card mount.  On wove.

Condition

The condition is typical for a picture of this age including some discolouration and light creasing across the surface. The frame has general scuffing and surface dirt and small losses to three corners.

Size

23.3 x 28.1cm (9.2" x 11.1")

Artist Biography

Adam Buck (1759–1833) was an Irish neo-classical portraitist and miniature painter and engraver (as was his brother Frederick) principally active in London.

Buck was born in Castle Street, Cork. Becoming an accomplished miniaturist in the 1780s while still in Ireland, he made a permanent move to London in 1795 – his residences there included 174 Piccadilly (1795–8), Frith Street, Soho (1799–1802) and Bentinck Street (1813–20). His patrons included Angelica Catalani (an opera singer), JP Kemble, Sir Francis Burdett, Thomas Hope, George IV, the duke of York and his mistress Mary Anne Clarke. A major influence on Regency culture (producing plates of contemporary costume as well as genre pictures of family and classical scenes and illustrations for Laurence Sterne's Sentimental Journey), he was himself much influenced by the Greek Revival (the furniture, vases - which he collected -, sculptures, costumes and even hairstyles in his works are all ancient Greek). He also acted as a painting teacher, as well as exhibiting more than 170 miniatures and small full-length portraits at the Royal Academy between 1795 and 1833. He died at 15 Upper Seymour Street, London.