Antique Houbraken Engraving Portrait “Francis, Lord Cottington” Published 1744 | 9 x 14.75

Likely to have come from a book

This is one of those prints that feels like a little time capsule. A finely engraved portrait of Francis, Lord Cottington, set inside an ornate scrollwork cartouche that almost looks like carved stone or gilded wood. The engraving is extremely crisp, especially in the lace collar, the hair, and the deep, velvety shading behind the figure.

So who is he? Cottington was a major English court figure in the early 1600s. He served the Stuart monarchy and moved through the highest levels of government during the reign of King Charles I, working in diplomacy and royal finance at a time when England was full of political tension. In other words, he wasn’t just a titled gentleman, he was one of the people shaping policy behind the scenes in the decades leading into the English Civil War period. That context is what gives a portrait like this its weight. It is not generic old-world décor, it is tied to a specific chapter of British history.

The plate is engraved by Jacobus Houbraken, and the publication line at the bottom is dated 1744, which gives it that true early Georgian print culture feel. Another detail collectors love is the old “In the possession of…” line along the bottom, a clue that the engraving was made after an earlier portrait owned in a private collection. It’s the kind of antique print that looks incredible framed with a wide mat if you like English library style, traditional interiors, or moody gallery walls.

Artist Biography Jacobus Houbraken (1698-1780) was a Dutch engraver, apprenticed under his father, Arnold Houbraken (1660-1719). Houbraken’s style was similar to the portrait engravers of the great seventeenth century French school, most notably, Nanteuil, Drevet and Edelinck. He surpassed these masters in his ability to capture textures and tones. The Italian engraver, Raphael Morghen said, “No engraver has ever equalled, and probably will not equal, the Dutchman Jacobus Houbraken, in the manner of imitating the flesh and the hair by means of the graver.” He was sought after by both English and Dutch publishers. His most famous engravings for English publication were those for the historical series, "The Heads of Illustrious Persons of Great Britain", published in parts in London between 1734 and 1752. He worked alongside George Vertue (1684-1756), but most of the great portrayals were left to Houbraken, including those of Newton, Pope, Dryden, Shakespeare and Milton. Under the framed portrait of each individual, he designed and engraved the vignettes and objects associated with each person. Jacobus Houbraken's most important set of original portrait engravings, The Heads of Illustrious Persons of Great Britain, required almost twenty years to complete. The set contains one hundred and eight portraits of British luminaries dating from the 14th to early 18th centuries including Kings, Queens, noblemen, politicians, writers, scientists and philosophers.