Bath, Art and Architecture: 08/11/15

Tuesday, 11 August 2015

Mezzotints after Rubens by John Faber the Elder of Busts in formerly Rubens Collection.

Some Engravings of Classical Marble Busts

formerly owned by Peter Paul Rubens (1577 - 1640).

by John Faber the Elder (1660 - 1721).

For the 17th century engravings of the 12 Rubens busts see

entry on this blog 28 April 2015.

Mezzotint by John Faber the Elder of a bust of Cicero after Rubens.

354 x 250 mm.

Title, 'Ex Marmore antiquo', four lines of description of subject beginning 'The greatest Orator of the Roman State ever Bred or Employ'd ...', and production details: 'P. P. Rubens Delin.', and 'Sold by Tho: Bowles next the Chapter House in St. Pauls Church Yard.' Lettered at lower right 'k'

Mezzotint by John Faber the Elder of a bust of Homer after Rubens. c.1710.

350 x 251mm.

Title, 'Ex Marmore Antiquo', three lines of description of subject beginning 'So called from his Blindness ...', and production details: 'P. P. Rubens Del.t', and 'Printed for and Sold by Tho: Bowles next to the Chapter House St. Pauls Church Yard.'
Lettered at lower right 'a'

Mezzotint by John Faber the Elder of a bust of Pythagoras after Rubens

Title, 'Ex Marmore Antiquo', four lines of description of subject beginning 'A Samian by Birth ...', and production details: 'P. P. Rubens Delin.t', 'J. Faber fecit.', and 'Printed for & Sold by Tho: Bowles Print & Map-seller next to the Chapter House in St. Pauls Church Yard.

250 x 253 mm.

Mezzotint by John Faber the Elder of a bust of Democritus after Rubens. c. 1710.

Title, 'Ex Marmore Antiquo', three lines of description of subject beginning 'He travelled over great part of the World for knowledge ...', and production details: 'P. P. Rubens Del.t', and 'Printed for, & Sold by Tho: Bowles next the Chapt.r House in St. Pauls Church Yd.'

Mezzotint by John Faber the Elder of a bust of Horace. c 1710.

Proof before lettering.

353 x 250 mm.

Mezzotint by John Faber the Elder of a bust of Demosthenes after Rubens c. 1710.

355 x 252 cms.

Title, 'Ex Marmore Antiquo', four lines of description of subject beginning 'The most famous Orator of Greece ...', and production details: 'P. P. Reubins delin.', and 'Printed for & Sold by Tho. Bowles next the Chapter House St. Pauls Church Yard'

Mezzotint by John Faber the Elder of a bust of Socrates after Rubens c 1710.

354 x 251 mm.

Title, four lines of description of subject beginning 'He delighted chiefly in Moral-Philosophy ...', and production details: 'P. P. Rubens Del.', 'Ex Marmore Antiquo', 'J. Faber senr. Fecit.', and 'Printed for & Sold by Tho: Bowles next the Chapter House in St. Pauls Ch. Yard.'
Lettered at lower right 'c'

Mezzotint by John Faber the Elder of a bust of Seneca after Rubens.

353 x 256 mm.

Title, four lines of description of subject beginning 'An excellent Stoick Philosopher ...', and production details: 'Ex Marmore Antiquo', 'P. P. Rubens Delint.', 'J. Faber fecit.', and 'Printed for and Sold by Tho: Bowles next the Chapter House in St. Pauls Church Yard.'
Lettered at lower right 'm'.

All the above images lifted from the British Museum Website

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Alexander the Great by John Faber the Younger c. 1730.

British Museum.

Lettered below the image with the title, two quotations; "The Statues that most resemble Alexander, were those of Lysippus, who express'd his Head towards his left Shoulder. Plutarch's Lives Voll 4. p.144.", and "There is in the Gallery of the Duke of Tuscany a beautiful Bust of Alexander, casting up his Face to Heaven wth. a Noble Air of Grief. Addison's Travels", and production details "Lysippus Sculptor / I. Faber Fecit / Sold by J. Faber at the Golden Head in Bloomsbury Square".

John Faber II, son of John Faber (and known as John Faber Junior until the death of his father in 1721), born Amsterdam moving to England around 1698; learned drawing and mezzotint engraving from his father and attended The Academy in St. Martin's Lane. Became leading mezzotint engraver of his day engraving two series after Godfrey Kneller - twelve Hampton Court Beauties (1727) and forty-seven portraits of members of the Kit-Cat Club (1735); also completed forty-two mezzotints after portraits of Thomas Hudson and fifteen after Allan Ramsay; also made mezzotints after Philip Mercier's paintings.

John Faber the Younger - addresses, (1707) over against Essex Street, at the Blew Ball in Catherine Street at the Two Golden Balls near the Savoy (c.1721-5) Fountain Court in the Strand (late 1720s) at the Green Door in the Great Piazza, Covent Garden (c.1731-4) at the Green Door in Craven Buildings, Drury Lane (c.1734 onwards) at the Golden Head in Bloomsbury Square, South Side.

A Series of Mezzotints of Classical Busts by John Faber the Elder (1660 - 1721).

A Series of 12 Mezzotints of Busts of the Caesars,

by John Faber the Elder (1660 - 1721). circa 1710 - 20.

John Faber the Elder (1660 -1721) - Portrait miniaturist and mezzotinter. b. Holland, where he drew portraits in fine pen and ink on vellum He came to England after 1696: his first documented work in Britain was in 1698. He adopted the mezzotint technique c.1707, when he set up as publisher. In 1711-12 he engraved the series of Bodlein portraits; 1712 - 4 the founders of Oxford and Cambridge colleges. He died in Bristol and was succeeded in business by his son, John Faber II.

He worked from (1707) the Two Golden Balls, near the Savoy in the Strand and (c.1716) Golden Eagle by the Fountain tavern, near Essex Street.