This print is known as the Blackheath Golfer. It depicts William Innes (1760-1830) and his caddy.
William Innes (1760-1803) was captain of the Society of Golfers at Blackheath (London), now known as the Royal Blackheath. The original mezzotint was first published in 1790, and it was the first golf print to ever be published.
Innis, a wealthy London sugar merchant and captain of the Society of Golfers at Blackheath, commissioned Lemuel Francis Abbott to paint his portrait, “full-size,” in 1790.
In the painting, he is depicted wearing a long red coat and is holding a club over his shoulder. Innis is accompanied by one of the many retired sailors in the area who served as golf caddies. The pair are shown standing on the expansive heath near Greenwich, then an arduous trip from London that included a boat ride down the River Thames.
The painting was originally displayed in the parlour of the Innis home in London, but it had a much broader audience for shortly after it was painted, Valentine Green was commissioned to produce a mezzotint engraving of the painting dedicated and for sale to “The Society of Goffers at Blackheath.” The first impressions came from a run of only 50 prints - which were just enough to sell to each member of the club.
It was originally issued in black and white and later prints were often hand-tinted with watercolours. It is difficult to establish the identity of the first issues, though less than 15 are now believed to exist.
On my print - along the top margin there is a very faint and plate rubbed publishing imprint for R. Powell of London.
This print is a 19th-century strike and a fine original hand-tinted mezzotint and aquatint print. It was engraved by Valentine Green (1739–1813) after the painting Lemuel Francis Abbott - and inscribed with publication details below and the dedication: `To the Society of Goffers at Blackheath. This Plate is with just Respect. Dedicated by Their most humble Servant, Lemuel Francis Abbott', as photographed.
It is an original mezzotint issue (probably a late second-generation issue, printed by R. Powell of London) and not a later reproduction or photogravure issue. I have taken a few images in close up of the faces so that you can see the stippling created using the mezzotint technique in close up.
To produce a mezzotint, a copper-plate is roughened all over with a special tool called a “rocker” to produce myriads of tiny dots that are filled with ink and print as black when run through a press. The engraver is able to produce various shades of black and gray by modifying the size of the tiny dots and burnishing out some of them so they hold less ink - and thereby to create subtle black and white tonal variations.
Mezzotints allow for intricate shading, delicate tones, and subtle textures which are harder to create using the line engraving technique. They are usually printed with black ink - colours can be added to black and white impressions by colouring by hand (as here) with subtle washes of watercolour paint.
My mezzotint comes with its a heavy old rosewood frame and can be hung straight on the wall - a great original artwork for a sports club or golf club.
Image size is 59.5 x 43.3 . Frame size is 77 x 56 cm.
The print is in very good antique condition has a visible platemark. It has a bit of natural time-tone to the paper commensurate with age - but no spotting or staining to the image. The print is on a heavy wove paper and you can clearly see the platemark left when the plate was run through the press and cause an indentation of its edges on the sheet.
The original frame is also in good condition.
These 19th-century mezzotints are fine collector's items and much sought after decorative pieces. You certainly won't be disappointed with this one!
Sadly, due to the weight of the frame - it would have to be for UK posting only.