Item 20: An Engraving of John Wilkes, by Unknown, [ca. 1768 March 28]

Item — Box: 6, Folder: 20

Staff Only

An Engraving of John Wilkes, by Unknown, [ca. 1768 March 28]

Dates

Created: [ca. 1768 March 28]

Access:

All series and subseries within this collection are open for research, with the exception of a few files within the Academia series that are restricted. The Academia series contains financial and sensitive institutional records from Wilkes College, and financial report records from Princeton University that will remain restricted for 80 years upon creation.

Extent

1 items

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

Additional Description

Type of Material:

Engraving

Condition Note:

Good.

Measurements:

4 ¼ in. x 4 in.

Description:

An engraving of John Wilkes (1725-1797) showing a bust-length, profile portrait of him. He wears a powdered wig, white neck cravat, and two-piece jacket. The picture is framed by numerous olive branches, a foundation built by various scrolls and books, and atop his image rests a radiant cap. It is possibly a reference to his ideology and principles of liberty, as other iconography appears similarly drawn in other items: John Wilkes, 1763 William Hogarth (1697 - 1764) The Royal Academy of Arts Beneath is Latin text, Civis erat, qui libera posset Verba animi proferre, et vitam impendere vero ~ Iuv., which reads, in English, that: “He was a citizen who was free to speak the words of his heart, and indeed to live his life”. This engraving was from the book “A Complete Collection Of The Genuine Papers, Letters, &c. In The Case Of John Wilkes, Esq. Elected Knight Of The Shire For The County Of Middlesex March XXVIII, MDCCLXVIII.” Which is a record of personal effect and recorded testimony and proceedings from the trial of John Wilkes held after his return from exile over the scandal concerning his authorship of “An Essay on Women”. The book was published in 1766 by publisher Chez J.W. Imprinteur, though the specific engraver is not known. The date for the item has been estimated by a comparison with a similar item found in a text entitled, A Complete Collection of the Genuine Papers, Letters, &c. in the Case of John Wilkes, Esq, digitized on Leo Cadogan Rare Books. The engraving appears beside the title page of the book, published on March 28, 1768.