Lot 148

Puncture mark to top right-hand edge at plate mark, overall discolouration consistent with age, small spots of foxing to top centre outside plate mark, small pressure tears to right of pen


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Please note condition reports can be amended during the pre-sale period, so we strongly suggest any interested bidders check the published condition report available on the website before the auction commences. Leonard Joel makes no guarantee of the originality of mechanical or applied components. Absence of reference to such modifications does not imply that a lot is free from modifications.

Painter, print-maker and one of earliest porcelain manufacturers in Britain, Dublin-born artist William Thomas Frye is best known for his series of life-size heads, 'Fancy Heads…Drawn from Nature and as Large as Life', published in two series between 1760 and 1762. The mezzotints are notable for their skilful execution, fanciful costumes and striking poses likely inspired by the weekly plays in London and masquerades held in pleasure gardens. In the mid-18th century, these prints were costly, sold as limited editions, and were considered elegant decorations for houses of the elite. With the exception of this self-portrait, the other works in the series were issued without titles and are considered to be imagined subjects rather than identifiable sitters.

Other editions of this mezzotint are held in the National Portrait Gallery, London and The Royal Collection Trust, UK.