Beschrijving
Portrait of Frederick II of Prussia, half-length, turned to right, looking forward, in armour. Frederick II of Prussia, also known as Frederick the Great, was a king of Prussia from the Hohenzollern dynasty, reigning from 1740 to 1786.
Engraving on hand laid paper, sheet size 230 x 163 mm., engaved by Jean Georges Wille after Antoine Pesne. Published by Wille in Paris, c. 1762-1793.
Jean Georges Wille (also Johann Georg) (Giessen 1715-1808 Paris) was a German-born engraver who naturalised as French. ‘Wille made from 1754 on almost only reproduction prints, among others after Netscher, Dou, Van Mieris, Ter Borch, Schalcken and Van Ostade; founded the Teutsche Zeichenschule in Paris in 1754. (Wiebel 2009) Willes studio became one of the most important printmaking centres in Paris, and a meeting-place for artists, collectors, dealers and, above all, young German engravers who wanted to train in Paris, including Balthazar Anton Dunker and Franz Edmund Weirotter. As a result he had considerable influence on engraving in Germany. (Turner et al. 1996) He was graveur du Roi and Court engraver of the King of Denmark. Napoleon Bonaparte named him knight of the Legion of Honor and the Institut de France. (Wikipedia)’ (source: RKD). He was the father of Pierre-Alexandre Wille.
In good condition, cropped within platemark, attached to carrier sheet by all four corners. A small tear in the top edge (closed), some paper loss in the top right corner (backed and filled in). Some faint stains in the image area.
References: Le Blanc 'Catalogue de l'oeuvre de Jean Georges Wille': 152.II; Firmin-Didot 1875-77 'Les graveurs de portraits en France catalogue raisonné de la collection des portraits de l' École Française': 2445.
