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Prints after George Morland

George Morland (1763-1804) was a well known British painter of rustic genre and narrative subjects. His appeal to his English contemporaries resided in the accessible content and the sensitivity to decorative detail in his often very picturesque works. His images often had an interesting narrative element and they often pictured gentle scenes of country life involving man and animals set into rich English landscapes.

Morland's paintings were a popular source for prints by his fellow artists, such as J.R. Smith and William Ward. John Raphael Smith (1752-1812) was a successful artist in his own right, variously a portrait painter, print publisher, and miniaturist. However, Smith is best thought of as a talented mezzotint engraver and in fact was honored as Mezzotint Engraver to the Prince of Wales in 1784. William Ward (1766-1826), who began as an apprentice and later principal assistant to Smith, is regarded as one of the greatest mezzotint engravers of the early nineteenth century. Much of this reputation comes from his work after paintings by Morland, his brother-in-law. Ward went on to become the engraver to King William IV.

Morland's prints were made using mezzotint. This flexible medium allows full attention to be given to the soft light and rich textures that pervade his scenes. These are examples of English printmaking at its best and most sophisticated.

George Morland. "The Last Litter." London: H. Macklin, 1803. 17 7/8 x 23 5/8. Mezzotint by W. Ward. Excellent condition. $950
George Morland. "The Effects of Extravagance & Idleness." London, 1800. 23 1/4 x 18 3/4. Mezzotint by Darcis. Early hand color. Excellent condition. $750
George Morland. [Set of four mezzotints telling the story of a military recruit]. Mezzotints by G[eorge] Keating. London: J.R. Smith, 1791. Each print trimmed to plate mark. Each 21 1/2 x 17 1/2. Excellent impressions. Very good condition.
For the set of four prints: $2,400
George Morland. “The Country Girl at Home” and “The Country Girl in London.” 14 x 9 5/8. Aquatint by M.C. Prestel. Hand color. Excellent condition. Framed with archival materials.
Famous for his mastery of sentimental, rustic genre subject matter, George Morland was a prolific painter who produced much material for contemporary printmakers. Born in London, he would spend most of his life in and around the city, living hard and painting hard. It was, perhaps, with tongue-in-cheek that the reckless Morland produced such moral images as this pair, which warn against the corrupting urban influences on innocent country girls. Echoing conservative tones common to Morland’s work, they were made when the artist was living in debt and one step ahead of those who would collect it. Though his sincerity may be in question, one cannot doubt the skill of Morland’s composition nor the competence of engraver M.C. Prestel, who capably translated the artist’s painting to these fine aquatints. $850 for pair

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