Barbara Countess of Coventry.
Grafik, karta.
Sold by Ryland and Bryer, at the Kings arms in Cornhill. Ca 1764-1765 according to the National Portrait Gallery in London. Plate mark 35 x 45,5 cm. The whole sheet 45 x 60 cm. Mezzotint. Ample margins. A little creasing to the margins. Some browning in the lower margin. Thin paper strips along two margins at the back. Near fine condition. A fine portrait of Barbara Countess of Coventry (1764-1804) by the great mezzotint artist James Watson after an original by Joshua Reynolds. Barbara St. John married George William the 6th. Earl of Coventry in 1764, thus becoming the Countess of Coventry. In contrast to George´s first unhappy marriage to Maria Gunning, Barbara was his soulmate with interests in a wide range of subjects. The couple had two sons that survived to adulthood. James Watson (1740-1790) was an irish engraver working in London reproducing art work by Gainsborough, Cotes, Read, van Dyck, Metzu, Schalcken, Rubens and others. He was regarded as one of the best of his time. Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792) was an english portrait painter of the idealization school. His subjects looked better in the paintings than in reality. He was one of the founders of The Royal Academy and became its first president. He was knighted in 1769 by George III and appointed Principal Painter in Ordinary to the King in 1784. Reynolds is one of Englands great painters.
