Invitation with vignette from "The First Born" (without text)
Herkomer made this etching to invite friends and potential patrons to view his recently finished paintings (this is a proof, but another impression (2019.241) includes the date April 1–2, 1887 and gives the address of 22B Ebury Street, the artist's London studio). The private view on Saturday April 2, 1887 was attended by Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) and Alexandra, Princess of Wales (later Queen Alexandra). The figures of a young carpenter with his wife and baby, used to frame the text here, derive from Herkomer's painting "The First Born," which he exhibited shortly afterward at the Royal Academy. The imagery demonstrates sympathy for working men and women while the print sheds light on ways that Victorian artists promoted their work.
Artwork Details
- Title: Invitation with vignette from "The First Born" (without text)
- Artist: Sir Hubert von Herkomer (British, Waal, Bavaria 1849–1914 Budleigh Salterton, Devon)
- Date: 1887
- Medium: Etching; proof
- Dimensions: Plate: 7 15/16 × 5 13/16 in. (20.1 × 14.8 cm)
Sheet: 13 7/16 × 8 3/8 in. (34.2 × 21.3 cm) - Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: Funds from various donors, 2019
- Object Number: 2019.242
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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