Philip Dawe after Henry Morland

The Oyster Woman

16 x 22 inches

A black and white mezzotint engraving by Philip Dawe after the painting by Henry Moreland, published in London by Carrington Bowles in 1769.

This superb impression beautifully illustrates the subtlety of tone that can be achieved by mezzotint and is one from a series of prints by Philip Dawe that depicts the effecta light source can have on the human form. In this instance the light source, a candle, is hidden from sight but its effect can be seen on the young girl's face. Dawe was the son of a city merchant whom, it is said, worked under William Hogarth. He produced engravings after Hogarth and other contemporaries in addition to prints after his own designs. He is considered to be very talented at his art and a highly skilled mezzotint engraver. It is thought that he died, in London, at the beginning of the nineteenth century.