Sir William Pepperrell

About this artwork

This striking mezzotint portrait, *Sir William Pepperrell*, captures the dignified likeness of Sir William Pepperrell, st Baronet, a colonial American figure. Created in 1747 by English engraver Peter Pelham likely after a painting by the influential portraitist John Smibert, with possible involvement from J. Buck, it exemplifies early printmaking in the American colonies. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art Drawings and Prints department (bequest of Charles Allen Munn,1924), the work measures about 11 x 9 inches and showcases the rich, velvety tones characteristic of mezzotint—a technique Pelham mastered after immigrating to Boston. Mezzotint, invented in the late 17th century, involved roughening a copper plate to hold ink deeply, then scraping highlights for luminous effects, making it ideal for reproducing painterly portraits with dramatic shadows and subtle gradations. This print's historical significance lies in its timing: just two years after Pepperrell's heroic leadership in the 1745 Siege of Louisbourg during King George's War, earning him his baronetcy from King George II. As one of the finest colonial-era prints, it bridged European artistic traditions with New World identity, distributing Pepperrell's image widely among admirers. Visitors will appreciate how this modest yet masterful sheet immortalizes a pivotal moment in pre-Revolutionary America, blending technical innovation with cultural prestige.