Sleeping child: P.15078-R

Current Location: In storage

Titles

Sleeping child
?portrait of James Francis Edward Stuart, The Old Pretender (son of James II)

Maker(s)

Printmaker: Unknown
Publisher: Smith, John

Entities

Description

A fair-haired baby, naked except for a sheet around the loins, lies asleep on a tasselled pillow upon a bed with fringed, brocade cover and curtains to left and right. The child's right arm lies outstretched across the pillow and the left arm rests against the left leg.

Notes

History note: VanSittart gave 1,485 engravings to the Fitzwilliam Museum in 1879 and this mezzotint was probably included within this group. The number written in graphite on the verso presumably relates to some kind of count by curators at the time of the acquisition.

Legal notes

Given by Augustus Arthur VanSittart, ?1879

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Given (1879) by VanSittart, Augustus Arthur

Dating

18th Century#
1680 - 1740

Note

Mezzotint. Scratched in the margins at lower right: 'IS [in monogram] Ex'. Described by Chaloner Smith as one of 'several small prints, which probably represent the son or daughter of James II. ..., but these are marked, "I Smith ex" only'. Smith engraved a number of prints after paintings of young children, largely unclothed and positioned on similar tasselled cushions by Sir Godfrey Kneller, including The Lord Bury (Chaloner Smith, 32) and The Prince of Great Britain [James Francis Edward Stuart, The Old Pretender] (Chaloner Smith, 246). Russell lists the plate as printmaker unknown and follows Chaloner Smith in suggesting that the subject may be 'a portrait of Prince James Stuart'. Inscribed in graphite on the verso: 'Vansittart Collection'; '523(1)'.

School or Style

British

Techniques used in production

Mezzotint

Identification numbers

Accession number: P.15078-R
Primary reference Number: 240108
Chaloner Smith: p.1240
Russell (Chaloner Smith): 134b (Engraver not ascertained. Class I. 17thC)
Stable URI