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c. 1760 Mezzotint Engraving: B. Franklin of Philadelphia

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:1,800.00 USD Estimated At:2,200.00 - 2,800.00 USD
c. 1760 Mezzotint Engraving: B. Franklin of Philadelphia
Colonial America
Rare “B. Franklin of Philadelpia” Titled Colored Mezzotint Engraving After Benj. Wilson & Showing a Lightning Bolt!
c. 1760 Colonial Period, Hand-Colored Mezzotint Engraving titled, “B. Franklin of Philadelphia,” Experimenting in the field of Electricity with a Lightning Bolt in the background, After engraver Benjamin Wilson’s original 1759 Engraving, Very Fine.
Rare and historical early Hand-Colored Mezzotint that is deeply printed on period laid paper with the plate outline impression is sharply embossed into the large sheet. This Print is also a slight variation of the 1761 mezzotint by James McArdell of England, having no date or place, which itself was based on Benjamin Wilson’s famous 1759 Oil on Canvas Painted portrait of Benjamin Franklin. This example shows a three-quarters length Portrait of Benjamin Franklin facing to the left, holding a book on his Electricity Experiments, and a “lightning bolt” is seen striking in the background in the lower left field. There is even overall tone to the paper. This early piece has a plate impression which measures 12” high x 9.5” wide, upon a larger sheet measuring to 15” high x 11” wide. A desirable period mezzotint of this extremely important depiction of Franklin, involving his fame as a celebrated scientist, experimenting in the field of electricity!