This is a sweet and rather rare Georgian drypoint etching by the celebrated Scottish artist, Andrew Geddes. As an original printmaker Andrew Geddes was pioneering in the extent of his combined use of drypoint with etching and he is regarded as one of the key figures to have carried this combined technique into the Victorian era.
It is a portrait of his niece, Agnes Paul, who is shown in a white dress holding out an apple to the viewer: the most charming and innocent of images, but also has some subliminal symbolism relating to Eve and her Apple in the Garden of Eden. Child portraits were made popular by the Academicians, Sir Joshua Reynolds and Sir Thomas Lawrence. Geddes would have been very familiar with their work when he was studying at the Royal Academy.
The print dates to 1826 and is D.18 V in the Geddes catalogue raisonne.
This work has a prominent platemark, as photographed and the drypoint lines forming the image are still nice and dark with lots of burr, suggesting that this is an earlier impression taken from the original copperplate. The sheet is inscribed in the lower right-hand corner: J. Kent Richardson RSW. Joseph Kent Richardson (1877 - 1972) was an artist and an important collector. He presented lots of artworks to the National Galleries of Scotland in the 1940s.
This work is in excellent antique condition. The sheet has not been laid down at any point in the past and is in fine condition with no tears or spotting. I have had the print professionally re-framed with a new window mount. I have added images of the sheet and the Richardson signature in the bottom margin (now covered by the mount). It is ready for you to hang straight onto your wall.
The etching is signed bottom left on the plate - it is not pencil signed by the artist - this did not happen on etchings until the issue of limited editions later in the 19th century.
Many of these works are in important international collections and are not often listed for sale, especially with the interesting Kent Richardson provenance.
UK Postage will be with Royal Mail Special Next Day Delivery. This will cost £10 and applied to your order at the checkout.