John Hancock Mezzotint Portrait
France, 1776 - Frame: 11¼ x 8⅝ inches; sight: 9¾ x 7⅛ inches
 
A rare mezzotint portrait of John Hancock after the likeness by Thomas Hart, issued during the American Revolution. The mezzotint bears the French inscription “Jean Hancock Président au Congrès des XIII Provinces unies d’Amérique à Boston” (“John Hancock, President of the Congress of the Thirteen United Provinces of America at Boston”), reflecting its intended circulation among an international audience and the prominence of French as the language of diplomacy in the late eighteenth century.
 
As President of the Continental Congress, Hancock held a position of singular importance in the movement toward independence, his name becoming indelibly associated with the Declaration of Independence. A scarce Revolutionary-era portrait illustrating Hancock’s political stature and transatlantic reputation.
 
Condition: Excellent.