Mons.r De Voltaire, London, 1760.
Voltaire's Smile Purcell, Richard (Corbutt, Charles) [fl. 1746-1766] after L.Sen. Mons.r de Voltaire. [London: Printed for Rob.t Sayer at No.53 Fleet Street. c.1760]. 13-1/2" x 10" (34.3 x 25 cm) mezzotint (measured to plate marks), publisher information trimmed from foot of sheet, mounted to thick-peper board. Light soiling and edgewear to margins, faint horizontal crease though center with short tears at ends in margins, very good overall. $250. * A handsome, full-length portrait depicting Francois-Marie Arouet (Voltaire) in profile facing right. Captured with a characteristic, subtle smile, the philosopher is seated at a library desk holding a pen in his right hand. The detailed interior features a towering bookcase, heavy draped curtains, and an arched window looking outward. This specific composition by L. Sen-portraying Voltaire deep in thought amid his library-gained significant popularity during the mid-18th century. Another notable rendering of this exact scene was previously engraved by the prominent printmaker Richard Houston. Better known by his pen name Voltaire, Francois-Marie Arouet (1694-1778) remains one of the foundational figures of the French Enlightenment. Celebrated for his sharp wit and prolific literary output, he was a fierce advocate for civil liberties, including free trade and the freedom of religion. Richard Purcell began his career working with various printsellers in his native Dublin. Around 1755, he migrated to London to join his master, John Brooks, alongside a circle of highly skilled Irish engravers. Unable to establish himself as an independent printmaker, Purcell frequently relied on plagiarizing popular continental and domestic prints for London publishers. He routinely adopted the pseudonym Charles Corbutt for these illicit productions, working primarily for the prolific print entrepreneur Robert Sayer. This print stands as an excellent artifact of the competitive, legally gray printmaking landscape of Georgian London.
Price: $250.00
Book number 87019