Portrait of Jacob Butler: 4203

Current Location: In storage

Titles

Portrait of Jacob Butler

Maker(s)

Printmaker: Tyson, Michael
Designer: attributed to

Entities

Drawing

Description

Drawing in pen and ink with grey wash on cream laid paper. Portrait of local Cambridge barrister, Jacob Butler (1681-1765), half-length in profile to the left, with shoulder-length hair and wearing a wide-brimmed tricorn hat pulled down low and Judicial bands at the neck. Two books are stacked on a ledge to the left with a third open on top. Drawn at upper right: 'Rembrant / D: 1630'. Contained within a double-edged pen and ink border, the inner border heavily inked. A handwritten inscription in pen and ink within the image at upper centre: 'This is Mr _Tyson's_ _original_ Drawing.'. A second inscription in pen and ink, between inner and outer border at lower centre: 'Jacob Butler Counsellor at Law Cambridge'. An inscription in a curatorial hand on the verso of the artist's board onto which this drawing is laid down indicates that this is a transcription from the verso of the object and adds: '(in Dr. Barnes writing)'. 'Dr. Barnes' is probably a reference to Francis Barnes (1744-1838), who was Master of Peterhouse and later Vice-Chancellor of the University. This drawing, attributed to Tyson, relates to etched portraits of Butler made by Tyson and others. See P.14848-R, which most closely resembles it and also P.14847-R. A modern inscription in graphite on the board onto which this drawing is laid down queries the attribution of this drawing to Tyson: '?drawn from the etching by another hand'.