John Hamilton Mortimer, A.R.A. 1740-1779.
Mortimer's Etchings of Figures dedicated to Sir Joshua Reynolds 1778. Sutherland 140.
Flyleaf: W.H.Bracebridge.
Frontispiece dedicated to Sir Joshua Reynolds. 1778. Etching. Sunderland 140.1. TO SR. JOSA: REYNOLDS/ PRESIDENT/ of the/ ROYAL ACADEMY,/ thefe Etchings are/ DEDICATED/ by his humble Serv.t/ I.H. MORTIMER/ 1778. (sheet 13 7/8 x 10 1/4). Published Dec r, 8th, 1778 I Mortimer Norfolk Street Strand. Printed on off-white wove paper.
Five Allegorical Compositions
Comedy 1778. Etching. Sunderland 140.2. Plate: 11 3/4 x 7 15/16; etching: 11 x 7 1/4 (sheet 13 7/8 x 10 1/4). COMEDY. Published Dec r, 8th, 1778 I. Mortimer. Printed on off-white wove paper.
Tragedy. 1778. Etching. Sunderland 140.3. Plate: 11 5/8 x 7 7/8; etching: 11 1/16 x 7 5/16 (sheet 13 7/8 x 10 1/4). TRAGEDY. Published Dec r, 8th, 1778 I. Mortimer. Printed on off-white wove paper.
Pastoral. 1778. Etching. Sunderland 140.4. Plate: 11 11/16 x 7 7/8; etching: 11 x 7 1/4 (sheet 13 7/8 x 10 1/4). PASTORAL. Published Dec r, 8th, 1778 I. Mortimer. Printed on off-white wove paper.
Reposo. 1778. Etching. Sunderland 140.5. Plate: 11 7/8 x 7 15/16; etching: 11 1/8 x 7 1/2 (sheet 13 7/8 x 10 1/4). REPOSO. Published Dec r, 8th, 1778 I Mortimer. Printed on off-white wove paper.
Elegy. 1778. Etching. Sunderland 140.6. Plate: 11 3/8 x 7 15/16; etching: 11 x 7 3/16 (sheet 13 7/8 x 10 1/4). ELEGY. Published Dec r, 8th, 1778 I. Mortimer. Printed on off-white wove paper.
Two Portraits of Artists
Salvator Rosa. 1778. Etching. Sunderland 140.7. Plate: 11 3/4 x 7 15/16; etching: 10 13/16 x 7 1/16 (sheet 13 7/8 x 10 1/4). SALVATOR ROSA. Published Dec r, 8th, 1778 I. Mortimer. Printed on off-white wove paper.
Gerard Lairesse. 1778. Etching. Sunderland 140.8. Plate: 11 3/4 x 7 15/16; etching: 10 15/16 x 7 1/8 (sheet 13 7/8 x 10 1/4). GERD. LAIRESSE. Published Dec r, 8th, 1778 I. Mortimer. Printed on off-white wove paper.
Three Etchings of Banditti
Banditti Taking his Post. 1778. Etching. Sunderland 140.9. Plate: 11 13/16 x 7 7/8; etching: 11 x 7 3/16 (sheet 13 7/8 x 10 1/4). BANDITTI taking his post. Published Dec r, 8th, 1778 I Mortimer. Printed on off-white wove paper.
Banditti on the Look Out. 1778. Etching. Sunderland 140.10. Plate: 11 9/16 x 7 15/16; etching: 10 15/16 x 7 3/8 (sheet 13 7/8 x 10 1/4). BANDITTI on the look out. Published Dec r, 8th, 1778 I Mortimer. Printed on off-white wove paper.
A Captain Banditti sending out a Party. 1778. Etching. Sunderland 140.11. Plate: 11 5/16 x 7 7/8; etching: 10 7/8 x 7 1/4 (sheet 13 7/8 x 10 1/4). A CAPTN. OF BANDITTI sending out a Party. Published Dec r, 8th, 1778 I Mortimer. Printed on off-white wove paper.
Four Etchings of Monsters
Successful Monster. 1778. Etching. Sunderland 140.12. Plate: 11 5/16 x 7 13/16; etching: 10 15/16 x 7 1/8 (sheet 13 7/8 x 10 1/4). SUCCESSFUL MONSTER. Published Dec r, 8th, 1778 I Mortimer. Printed on off-white wove paper.
Musical Monster. 1778. Etching. Sunderland 140.13. Plate: 9 1/8 x 6 3/4; etching: 8 9/16 x 6 1/16 (sheet 13 7/8 x 10 1/4). MUSICAL MONSTER. Published Dec r, 8th, 1778 I Mortimer. Printed on off-white wove paper.
Jealous Monster. 1778. Etching. Sunderland 140.14. Plate: 11 3/4 x 7 7/8; etching: 11 3/8 x 7 1/8 (sheet 13 7/8 x 10 1/4). JEALOUS MONSTER. Published Dec r, 8th, 1778 I Mortimer. Printed on off-white wove paper.
Enrag'd Monster. 1778. Etching. Sunderland 140.15. Plate: 9 1/8 x 6 5/8; etching: 8 7/16 x 6 1/8 (sheet 13 7/8 x 10 1/4). ENRAG'D MONSTER. Published Dec r, 8th, 1778 I Mortimer. Printed on off-white wove paper.
Two Etchings of Monsters
Revengeful Monsters. 1780. Etching. Plate: 6 5/8 x 9 1/8; etching: 6 3/16 x 8 15/16 (sheet 13 7/8 x 10 1/4). I. Mortimer Del.et Sculp. REVENGEFUL MONSTERS. Published as the Act directs Jan. 25, 1780 by J. Mortimer, Norfolk Street Strand. Printed on off-white wove paper.
Sleeping Monsters. 1780. Etching. Plate: 6 1/2 x 9 3/16; etching: 5 11/16 x 8 1/2 (sheet 13 7/8 x 10 1/4). I. Mortimer Del.et Sculp. SLEEPING MONSTERS. Published as the Act directs Jan. 25, 1780 by J. Mortimer, Norfolk Street Strand. Printed on off-white wove paper.
Six Prints Representing Banditti variously employed
Going out in the Morning. 1779. Etching. Plate: 9 1/4 x 6 15/16; etching: 8 3/16 x 5 15/16 (sheet 13 7/8 x 10 1/4). Six Prints representing Banditti variously employed. Drawn by J.H. Mortimer. Etched by R. Blyth. Going out in the Morning. London. Publifh'd as the Act directs 15th Nov.r 1779, by R. Blyth No 27 Great Castle Street, Cavendish Square. Printed on off-white wove paper.
Stripping the Slain. 1779. Etching. Plate: 9 1/4 x 6 7/8; etching: 8 1/4 x 6 (sheet 13 7/8 x 10 1/4). Drawn by J.H. Mortimer. Etched by R. Blyth. Stripping the Slain. London. Publifh'd as the Act directs 15th Nov.r 1779, by R. Blyth No 27 Great Castle Street, Cavendish Square. Printed on off-white wove paper.
Conversing with a Captive. 1779. Etching. Plate: 9 1/8 x 6 7/8; etching: 8 1/4 x 6 (sheet 13 7/8 x 10 1/4). Drawn by J.H. Mortimer. Etched by R. Blyth. Conversing with a Captive. London. Publifh'd as the Act directs 15th Nov.r 1779, by R. Blyth No 27 Great Castle Street, Cavendish Square. Printed on off-white wove paper.
Retiring wounded from Battle. 1779. Etching. Plate: 9 5/16 x 6 7/8; etching: 8 5/16 x 6 (sheet 13 7/8 x 10 1/4). Drawn by J.H. Mortimer. Etched by R. Blyth. Retiring wounded from Battle. London. Publifh'd as the Act directs 15th Nov.r 1779, by R. Blyth No 27 Great Castle Street, Cavendish Square. Printed on off-white wove paper.
Enjoying domestic Happiness. 1779. Etching. Plate: 9 x 6 13/16; etching: 8 1/4 x 6 1/16 (sheet 13 7/8 x 10 1/4). Drawn by J.H. Mortimer. Etched by R. Blyth. Enjoying domestic Happiness. London. Publifh'd as the Act directs 15th Nov.r 1779, by R. Blyth No 27 Great Castle Street, Cavendish Square. Printed on off-white wove paper.
Killing an Enemy. 1779. Etching. Plate: 9 x 6 13/16; etching: 8 3/16 x 6 15/16 (sheet 13 7/8 x 10 1/4). Drawn by J.H. Mortimer. Etched by R. Blyth. Killing an Enemy. London. Publifh'd as the Act directs 15th Nov.r 1779, by R. Blyth No 27 Great Castle Street, Cavendish Square. Printed on off-white wove paper.
John Hamilton Mortimer (1740-1779) led a dissolute life until his marriage in 1775. After that time, he channeled his energies into his art, was made an associate of the Royal Academy months before his death. He produced large historical paintings, for which he is famous. His etchings and the drawings he designed to be etched, however, studies of sea monsters, banditti, gypsies and Shakespearian portrayals, in which he interpreted psychological character. His imaginative compositions influenced the visionary artists, Henry Fuseli and William Blake.
In 1779,to celebrate his election as Associate Academician, Mortimer created a series of fifteen etchings dedicated to Sir Joshua Reynolds, President of the Royal Academy.
John Hamilton Mortimer etched some of his own designs. Others he designed specifically for his best student, Robert Blyth (1750 - 1784). After Mortimer's death, his widow arranged for etchings to be made from some of his drawings and paintings; many of them etched by Blythe. Between 1780 and 1788, she published about 20 etchings from examples of her late husband's work. There ws an early edition about 1804, and a later edition printed by Thomas Palser in 1816. This set appears to be from the earlier edition, as one of the sheets has an '1804' countermark. $6,500 the set.
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