465 - R. PURCELL (*1746) after HOARE OF BATH (*1707), William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, around 1765, Mezzotint

R. PURCELL (*1746) after HOARE OF BATH (*1707), William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, around 1765, Mezzotint Richard Purcell (before 1746 - around 1766 ) after William Hoare of Bath (1707 Eye (Suffolk) - 1792 Bath): The Right Honourable William Pitt, Earl of Chatham Portrait after Hoare, c. 1765, Mezzotint Technique: Mezzotint on paper Inscription: At the lower part inscribed in the printing plate: "The Right Honourable William Pitt Esq. One of His Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State. And One of His Majesty's most Hon.ble Privy Council". Date: c. 1765 Description: Very similar to the plate of the same motif by Richard Houston (1721-1775). Half-length portrait in three-quarter profile, facing left, the sitter looking towards the viewer. William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, is wearing a long white wig and a rich velvet gown. He is seated at a table on which books and documents lie, holding a letter in his right hand while his left hand rests loosely on his knee. The depiction emphasizes his role as statesman and orator, dignified but at the same time in a domestic and intimate atmosphere. Person: 1st Earl William Pitt the Elder, Chatham (1708 London - 1778 Hayes) British politician. After being a member of the House of Commons for many years and holding various court offices, he was Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1766 to 1768. Keywords: William Pitt, 18th century, Baroque, Portraits, United Kingdom, Size: Paper: 36,0 cm x 25,4 cm (14,2 x 10 in), Plate: 5,5 cm x 25,2 cm (2,2 x 9,9 in), Depiction: 31,8 cm x 24,9 cm (12,5 x 9,8 in) Condition: Defective condition. Paper browned due to age, margins partially trimmed. Several creases and slight pressure marks visible, especially in the upper area. Tears in the right margin. The tears at the upper margin of the sheet have been fixed with adhesive tape on the verso. Bumped lower right corner of sheet. With foxing stains scattered across the sheet. The printed image is slightly faded, but as a mezzotint it still appears strong.