General Henry Knox — Stipple Engraved Portrait
Port Folio, Vol. 6, No. 2, Philadelphia, August 1811 — Frame: 9 7/8 x 6 1/2 inches; sight: 8 x 4 5/8 inches
 
A stipple-engraved oval portrait of Henry Knox, engraved by David Edwin after the celebrated likeness by Charles Willson Peale, and published in the August 1811 issue of the Port Folio. The engraving faithfully translates Peale’s original painted portrait—executed from life in the 1780s—into a format suited to early American periodical circulation, preserving Knox’s composed bearing and recognizable features.
 
Knox, a Boston bookseller turned soldier, rose to become chief of artillery of the Continental Army and a trusted associate of George Washington. His pivotal role in transporting artillery from Fort Ticonderoga and his continued service through the major campaigns of the Revolution secured his reputation, later formalized in his appointment as the nation’s first Secretary of War. Engravings such as this reflect the early Republic’s effort to disseminate images of its military leadership through widely read publications.
 
Condition: Excellent.