(British, 1763-1804)

John Raphael Smith (British, 1752-1812) engraver, after George Morland, 1791: African Hospitality, plate 18-15/16 x 25-13/16 in., sheet 19-5/8 x 26-1/2 in.; Slave Trade, plate 19 x 26-3/16 in., sheets 19-1/2 x 26-1/2 in., hand colored mezzotints on laid paper; matching parcel gilt print frames, 21-1/2 x 28-3/8 in.

Note: A note from the USI (Understanding Slavery Initiative) website states: "African Hospitality' is a print by a celebrated engraver, John Raphael Smith (1752-1812), after a painting by his brother-in-law, the artist George Morland. The print was published in 1791 as a companion to another called 'The Slave Trade'. The image depicts the kindness of Africans ministering to a shipwrecked European family (in contrast to the brutality of the Europeans separating a family in 'The Slave Trade'). George Morland was better known as a British painter of landscapes and sentimental rural scenes. This image was probably inspired by the work of a poet friend who wrote on the wrongs of slavery. The focus is in keeping with the other work of the artist, with a strong emotional element but, despite the growing popularity of the abolitionist movement, the image did not sell as well as his rural scenes."

Provenance: Carl Glucksmann Rare Prints, New York (Lugt 1085a, stamped verso); The Estate of Peter H. Tillou, Litchfield, Connecticut

hinged in, paper labels attached verso, some restorations primarily to margins, abrasions, some toning; frames with abrasions