A beautiful and rare antique photogravure. Princess Sophia was 8 years old when she sat for the original painting upon which this image is based. The innocence of youth is displayed in this photogravure. The three-quarter length pose shows Princess Sophia …QUOTE: ‘directed to the right looking at the spectator; in a white dress (in which she is holding a number of cut roses); with short sleeves; black lace shawl; straw hat; with long curly hair’ … with curled hair, a large brimmed hat with bow, gown, and lace shawl over shoulders. She holds roses in her lap. A landscape view is in the background.

The large artwork measures 14” x 10 ½” and appears to have been removed from a book – rough right edge: the image page was not trimmed so it does not sit centered in the frame. The ornate 20” x 17” frame is a modern reproduction.

The 125 year old artwork shows wear commensurate with its age and its early unframed situation.
In the top right Princess Sophia’s photogravure is labelled “Copyright Colnaghi 13 & 14 Pall Mall East, London.”
The bottom right reads “Photogravure Rich & Hart, London”. This dates the image to early 1900s.
This beautiful antique photogravure was based on a stunning antique stipple engraving by Caroline Watson that was published April 12, 1786. The engraving was inspired by artist John Hoppner’s painting of Princess Sophia soon after it was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1785.

Hoppner's 1795 painting of Princess Sophia, has been widely reproduced and sold as prints, postcards, and lithographs.

This rare, 125 year old photogravure is available for purchase. Offered for just $225 with an easy pickup in the Taunton and Garden area of WHITBY. From a smoke-free home.
Please email mzm@sympatico.ca OR text 905-439-4640

Brief background information: (the artwork’s provenance can also be provided)

Princess Sophia Matilda (1777–1848) was the twelfth of fifteen children, and the fifth daughter of King George III and Queen Charlotte. Her life, like that of her sisters, was largely restricted due to her father's mental health issues and her mother's strict control. Sophia’s sheltered upbringing was largely confined to Windsor Castle and Kensington Palace with her unmarried sisters. She was educated with her sisters by their governess, and received a good education. In her youth, Sophia was closest to her father, who preferred his daughters over his sons; however, she and her sisters lived in fear of their mother. The King's recurring bouts of madness, as well as the Queen's desire to have her daughters live their lives as her companions, stopped would-be suitors. Sophia never married. She lived with her niece, the future Queen Victoria. In later life, Sophia’s eyesight failed and she became totally blind. She died in 1848; it is said that her ghost still haunts Kensington Palace.

Painter John Hoppner R.A. (1758-1810) had been recommended as a lad of genius to King George III, in the early 1770s. Princess Sophia’s portrait (1785) appears to have been one of the first of many of his royal commissions. This portrait of was hanging in the King’s Closet in the private apartments at Windsor in 1813. According to a contemporary record, Hoppner travelled to Windsor to paint the Princess.

Print Maker Caroline Watson (1761-1814) is considered the first professional British female engraver. She was appointed to the post of engraver to Queen Charlotte in 1785, only five years after the publication of the artist’s first known signed print.

Photogravure is a 19th century process that transferred photographic images onto copper plates, which were then etched and printed on a gravure press. It is known for its rich, velvety, and continuous-tone grey and black images.

Colnaghi 13 & 14 Pall Mall East, London (P&D Colnaghi & Co.) a renowned art dealership from 1825 to 1912.

https://archive.org/details/johnhoppnerra00mcka/page/240/mode/2up (1909 book JOHN HOPPNER R.A.)