Rare George Washington Profile Engraving
Joseph Wright, Edinburgh, Scotland, circa 1791
Line and stipple engraving - Oval image: 4⅛ x 3⅛ inches; frame: 6¾ x 4 7/8 inches
 
A rare and finely executed line and stipple engraving depicting General George Washington in profile, engraved by Joseph Wright and believed to have been printed in Edinburgh about 1791. Unknown to Charles Henry Hart's predecessor W. S. Baker, the print is catalogued by Hart as no. 158 in Catalog of the Engraved Portraits of Washington. Early twentieth-century references consistently describe the engraving as exceptionally scarce, including the Whelen Collection sale (1909), where it was noted as "extremely rare," the Mitchell Collection sale (1906), and the Holden Collection sale (1910), where it was described as "scarce." Produced during Washington's first presidential term, the engraving is among the more elusive contemporary European portraits of the nation's first president. 
 
Condition: Fine impression with wide margins. Light toning consistent with age.