Wooded Landscape with a Country Cart and Figures. by Thomas Gainsborough, 1727-1788

Thomas Gainsborough, 1727-1788
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Wooded Landscape with a Country Cart and Figures.

Original aquatint with softground etching in grey-black ink. c.1785. With the engraved line: 'Designed and engraved by Thos Gainsborough.' From the edition published in 1797 by Boydell; with his publication line: Pubd as the Act directs Aug: 1 1797, by J. & J. Boydell No 90 Cheapside & at the Shakespeare Gallery, Pall Mall. With the separate title plate, as issued. Very rare.
Ref: Hayes-Gainsborough no 18
Provenance: Hamlin Collection USA. Loaned to Fogg Art Museum under reference 15829.8

Extremely fine tonal impression in grey-black ink. On pale cream soft wove paper. Generally excellent condition, wespecially for such a print; bottom left margin tip (1/8 inch) repaired, top margin tear (1 inch) repaired, slight handling marks. 1 ins margins,except foot. Sheet: 327X401mm. Plate overall:306x348m

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A beautiful impression of one of the finest of Gainsborough's prints from his mature period. Executed in tonal aquatint, combined with softground, it illustrates the unique and personal handling of light in his prints. There is a combination of tone, line and texture which reflects the originality and artistic passion with which he approached the whole concept of printmaking as a medium. Great masterworks of their genre they occupy a position of the highest importance in the history of early British printmaking.

Almost no impressions of Gainsborough's softground prints are known from the first edition which he issued himself. Boydell acquired the plates from him and, retaining the plates in exactly the condition that Gainsborough completed them but adding the publication details on a separate plate below the image, he issued small editions. Impressions from this issue, as here, are also extremely rare today.

See also the notes on Gainsborough in Wooded Landscape with Gipsies round a Camp Fire.