SIR CHARLES NAPIER 2ND BARONET (1673-1743) - BY JOHN SMITH AFTER J SOMMER
 

Fine and comparatively rare mezzotint portrait of Sir Charles Napier 2nd Baronet (1673-1743) and an unknown boy, by John Smith, after J Sommer.

A print of Sir Charles Napier, 2nd Baronet, wearing armour, with a Black page holding a plumed helmet his sword hilt shaped like a lion’s head.  They stand by a tent in a military encampment with a battle scene in the background.

The Black servant or page wears a pearl earring and he is unlikely to represent an identifiable individual. Instead, the inclusion of Black figures as servants, attendants, or enslaved people in portraits of European sitters was a common visual motif in the 17th and 18th centuries.

The submissive presence of such figures (often shown in acts of service such as holding clothes, umbrellas or trays) was deployed as a visual status symbol. The Black figures often emphasise the status of the main sitter by being positioned behind or looking up to them, establishing a physical as well as a racial hierarchy.

These figures are often dressed in clothing considered ‘exotic’ by contemporary Europeans such as turbans, silks, and caftans, further representing the luxurious fantasy and wealth that was felt to be embodied by the Black presence.

This mezzotint is in a fine state of conservation and is housed in a quality ebonised frame with museum quality mount.

Date: c.1700

Framed Dimensions: 49cm x 39cm

Price: £720