(AMERICAN REVOLUTION PRINTS) Dixon John; artist and engrave

Sale 2344 - Lot 28

Price Realized: $ 3,250

?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price

Estimate: $ 800 - $ 1,200

(AMERICAN REVOLUTION--PRINTS.) Dixon, John; artist and engraver. The Oracle, Representing Britannia, Hibernia, Scotia, & America, as Assembled to Consult the Oracle on the Present Situation of Public Affairs. Mezzotint, 21 1/2 x 24 1/4 inches; moderate wear, faint partial creases, and several short repairs, particularly in the caption and imprint area, but still presents nicely. London: R. Sayer & J. Bennett, 1 December 1776

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Additional Details

Allegorical figures representing England, Ireland, and Scotland watch a magic lantern show of the glorious future led by George III (naked and looking quite fit). America, represented by a squatting Indian armed with a bow and arrow, sits apart from the others. Over America's head are demons and serpents, apparently facing defeat by the angelic forces of Great Britain. The print was first published in 1774, and was later satirized in 1778 and 1783; this 1776 printing from Dixon's plate appears to be unknown other than a copy handled by Maggs in 1929. Neither printing has been traced at auction. See Cresswell, 663; and Rauser, Caricature Unmasked, page 77 (both describing the 1774 printing).