777 - C. TURNER (*1773) after HOPPNER (*1758), Portrait of the Duke of Grafton, 1805, Mezzotint

C. TURNER (*1773) after HOPPNER (*1758), Portrait of the Duke of Grafton, 1805, Mezzotint Charles Turner (1773 Woodstock, Oxfordshire - 1857 London) after John Hoppner (1758 Whitechapel, London - 1810 London): Augustus Henry, 3rd Duke of Grafton, 1805, Mezzotint Technique: Hand colored Mezzotint on Paper Stamp: Lower right Blind stamp, Unknown/not identified. Mark: "RGC". Inscription: At the lower part signed in the printing plate: "J. Hoppner Esq. R. A. pinx | C. Turner sculp". Lower middle inscribed in the printing plate: "His Most Noble Augustus Henry Duke of Grafton". At the lower part dated: "published 1st Sept. 1805". Date: 1805 Description: Representative bust portrait of Augustus Henry FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton (1735-1811), in elegant fur trimming and with the breast star of the Order of the Garter. The sitter is turned slightly to the left, his face characterised by age but with a lively expression. The print combines masterly lighting with velvety tonal gradation - characteristic of the English portrait style of the Regency era. The Duke was British Prime Minister (1768-1770) and an important political figure of the late Enlightenment. Keywords: Augustus Henry FitzRoy; Duke of Grafton; Prime Minister; Mezzotinto; Charles Turner; John Opie; English portrait; Regency style; 18th century; Enlightenment; Order of the Garter; British aristocracy; Grand Manner; Representational portrait; Noble portrait; Printmaking; Art trade; Collector's prints; Political history; Portrait art; Aristocratic realism; 19th century; Realism; Portraits; United Kingdom; Size: Paper: 36,8 cm x 26,6 cm (14,5 x 10,5 in), Plate: 35,4 cm x 25,7 cm (13,9 x 10,1 in), Depiction: 30,1 cm x 25,7 cm (11,9 x 10,1 in) Condition: Rather good condition. Used condition with age-related marginal defects. Verso with remnants of adhesive tape. Small wormhole on the right shoulder, small rubbing on the left margin. Print image itself in very good condition with rich black and finely graded intermediate tones. With untrimmed platemark. Back side unprinted.