Apr 12, 2018 - Sale 2473

Sale 2473 - Lot 31

Price Realized: $ 2,000
?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 800 - $ 1,200
(AMERICAN REVOLUTION--PRINTS.) Le cel'bre J. Hancock, President du Congrés Englo-Amériquain / The Hon'ble John Hancock of Boston. Hand-colored engraving, 12 x 8 inches to sight; minor wear, not examined out of frame, recent corporate owner's tag on frame verso. [France], circa 1776-80

Additional Details

This French print apparently relied on the 1775 Shepherd mezzotint from England, which cited a painting by "Littleford" but which was apparently based on a circa 1771 painting by Copley. The engraver has added a map of the Atlantic coast and a book of Congressional acts in the background. We trace no other copies of this French rendition on OCLC or at auction, though New York print dealer George D. Smith did offer one in his catalogue circa 1905: "Of this rare and fine portrait there was no copy in the Carson collection, claimed to be the largest Hancock collection known." His asking price then was $150.