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c. 1777 Revolutionary War Period, General George Washington Engraved Portrait

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:600.00 USD Estimated At:800.00 - 1,000.00 USD
c. 1777 Revolutionary War Period, General George Washington Engraved Portrait
Washington Related
c. 1777 Engraved Portrait of General George Washington
c. 1777 Revolutionary War Period, General George Washington Portrait, Historic and being Engraved After "Alexander Campbell" (circa 1775), Choice Extremely Fine.


This early Portrait of General Washington, appears to be engraved After “Alexander Campbell”, the engraver unknown. George Washington, who was a regular visitor to Williamsburg, wrote on January 31, 1776: "Mr Campbell, whom I never saw to my knowledge, has made a very formidable figure of the Commander-in-Chief, giving him a sufficient portion of terror in his countenance."

This current Portrait was originally published in Christoph Heinrich Korn, “Geschichte der Kriege in und ausser Europa vom Anfange des Aufstandes der brittischen Kolonien in Nordamerika An” (Nurnberg: G. N. Raspe, 1777), located on page 120. This much sought after and extremely rare “fictitious” Revolutionary War period Portrait rendition of then General George Washington is based on the similarly fictitious Campbell engraving, as cited from the the Boglewood Catalog. The image plate size measures 6.25” h. x 3.5” w. and the full sheet measures 8” h x 5” w. This wonderful print in excellent condition, very dark and sharp in detail, printed on bright fresh period laid paper. The outer margins were previously trimmed to its plate borders, currently being almost invisibly repaired to show larger margins. See References: Hart (729, page 309) Baker (48), Boglewood (2913) for this image. A superbly presented and extremely attractive General George Washington “Action” Portrait.
"ALEXANDER CAMPBELL" is the pseudonym of the artist or artists who created two fictitious yet extremely influential images of Washington which were published in London in 1775.

Each engraving alleges that its image was "Drawn from life by Alex. Campbell of Williamsburgh in Virginia," but Washington, who was a regular visitor to Williamsburgh, wrote, January 31, 1776, "Mr Campbell, whom I never saw to my knowledge, has made a very formidable figure of the Commander-in-Chief, giving him a sufficient portion of terror in his countenance."

The two basic "Alexander Campbell" engravings were published by C. Campbell of London, whom one source identifies as a well-known London printer. Stylistically similar (and equally fictitious) engravings of other American revolutionary officers were published in the same period by London publishers Thomas Hart and John Morris, suggesting a set or series. Soon copies of the "Campbell" engravings, either authorized or pirated, were published across Europe.