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The Musical Boy

A work made of mezzotint in black on cream laid paper.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of mezzotint in black on cream laid paper.

Date:

1777

Artist:

James Watson (Irish, c. 1740-1790)
after Frans Hals (Dutch, 1582/83-1666)

About this artwork

The Irish-born mezzotint engraver James Watson reproduced paintings from several British collections with the highlights and soft-focus transitions this relatively new print medium enabled. This mezzotint is an early proof after a painting by the Dutch artist Frans Hals. Later impressions include the completed text, which states that this work was then owned by Lord Mountstuart and notes that it was reproduced at actual size. Watson’s publisher, John Boydell, one of the most active in London, was particularly keen on supplying his audience with prints after famous artworks, preferably those owned by members of the British nobility.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Prints and Drawings

Artist

James Watson

Title

The Musical Boy

Place

England (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1777

Medium

Mezzotint in black on cream laid paper

Dimensions

Image: 34.3 × 27.5 cm (13 9/16 × 10 7/8 in.); Sheet: 37 × 27.5 cm (14 5/8 × 10 7/8 in.)

Credit Line

The Wallace L. DeWolf and Joseph Brooks Fair Collections

Reference Number

1920.2496

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/109096/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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