Sir Nicholas Poines
November 22, 1796
Medium
Stipple engraving on cream wove paper
Dimensions
Image: 29.9 × 20.3 cm (11 13/16 × 8 in.); Plate: 35.6 × 24.3 cm (14 1/16 × 9 5/8 in.); Sheet: 44.2 × 30.7 cm (17 7/16 × 12 1/8 in.)
Classification
engraving
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
154540
Art Historical Context
**Sir Nicholas Poines** a refined stipple engraving by Francescoolozzi, dated November 22, 6, now housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and department. Italian-born Bartolozzi (1727–1815), a masteraver who spent much of his career in England, specialized in this technique, which uses fine dots and short strokes to build tonal gradations, creating a soft, painterly effect ideal for portraits. Measuring nearly 12 by 8 inches in its image area, this work on cream wove paper exemplifies the precision of late 18th-century printmaking. Stipple engraving, perfected by Bartolozzi, bridged p...
About the Artist
Francesco Bartolozzi · 1727–1815
Francesco Bartolozzi (1727–1815) was an Italian engraver whose most productive period was spent in London, where he became the leading exponent of stipple engraving and a founding member of the Royal Academy. Born in Florence and trained first as a painter before turning to engraving in Venice, he established his reputation in Rome before being recruited by the English Royal Librarian Richard Dalt...