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Unknown Artist
William Congreve Esqr.
1750

William Congreve was a dramatist and in this hand-coloured engraving, he appears vain but witty. Congreve wears a fashionable coat and wig, and he is pointing towards something with his right index finger. This print was made after a Kneller portrait housed at the National Portrait Gallery in London dating from 1709, and highlights the similarities and differences between the two works. Kneller’s portrait of Congreve was clearly popular: not only was it reproduced in print form, it also served as the effigy on Congreve’s monument found in Westminster Abbey.

 
Unknown Artist
William Congreve Esqr.
1750
engraving and hand coloured on paper
17.5 x 11.5 cm
Gift of Ross H. Branston, 1994
37-076.01

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