Item 122: Engraving of “The Ball at the Mansion House,” by Giovanni Battista Cipriani and Francesco Bartolozzi (removed to Oversized Print Box #2) , 1775 April 12
Item — Box: 21, Folder: 122
Dates
- Created: 1775 April 12
Creator
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
Type of Material:
Engraving
Condition Note:
Fair
Measurements:
8 in. x 7 ¼ in.
Title:
“The Ball at the Mansion House: The Right Honorable John Wilkes, Lord Mayor”
Description:
“Wilkes the reformer was also Wilkes the perennial and convivial host. An easter ball that Lord Mayor Wilkes gave at the mansion house on April 17, 1775, is commemorated in this engraving. A contemporary report noted that “The food was much warmer than commonly is the case at these great dinners.” There was dancing until three in the morning and a large assortment of lords, ladies, and celebrities, including Boswell and Prince Pallavinci, described as ‘The Late Pope’s Nephew.’” This print was illustrated by Giovanni Battista Cipriani and engraved by Francesco Bartolozzi.
Giovanni Battista Cipriani was an Italian painter and engraver born in 1727. He is referred to as Giuseppe Cipriani by some authors and much of his creations consisted of designs for prints. Many of these were eventually engraved by his friend Francesco Bartolozzi. He died December 14, 1785.
Francesco Bartolozzi was born in Florence on September 21, 1727. He was an Italian painter, but most of his success was gained in London. He is said to have popularized the method of crayon engraving . He originally set out to follow his father’s footsteps of being a gold and silversmith, but was placed under supervision of Ignazio Hugford and Giovanni Domenico Ferretti who taught him to paint. He developed this skill for three years and traveled to Venice where he studied engraving. He did this for six years with Joseph Wagner and eventually set up his own workshop. He died in Lisbon on March 7, 1815.
Mentioned in the transcript of the print, John Wilkes was an English politician, radical journalist, magistrate, essayist, and soldier born on October 17, 1725. In 1757, he was elected a Member of Parliament. He fought for the right of voters to decide their representatives rather than the House of Commons during a Middlesex election dispute. Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania is named after him as well as Isaac Barré. He died on December 26, 1797.
Transcription:
THE BALL AT THE MANSION HOUSE.
APRIL XVII-MDCCLXXV
THE RIGHT HON.IOHN WILKES, LORD MAYOR
G. B. Cipriani inv. et del. F. Bartolozzi fculp.1775
{Note Attached} THE BALL AT THE MANSION HOUSE WILKES THE REFORMER WAS ALSO WILKES THE PERENNIAL AND CONVIVIAL HOST. AN EASTER BALL THAT LORD MAYOR WILKES GAVE AT THE MANSION HOUSE ON APRIL 17, 1775 IS COMMEMORATED IN THIS ENGRAVING. A CONTEMPORARY REPORT NOTED THAT “THE FOOD WAS MUCH WARMER THAN COMMONLY IS THE CASE AT THESE GREAT DINNERS.” THERE WAS MUCH DANCING UNTIL THREE IN THE MORNING AND A LARGE ASSORTMENT OF LORDS, LADIES, AND CELEBRITIES, INCLUDING BOSWELL AND PRINCE PALLAVINCI, DESCRIBED AS “THE LATE POPE’S NEPHEW/”
27. Wilkes, John: THE BALL AT THE MANSION HOUSE, APRIL XVII, MDCCLXXV, THE RIGHT HONBLE JOHN WILKES, LORD MAYOR, G.B. Cipriani inv. et del; F Bartolozzi Sculp 1775, 8 X 7 1/8.
{Note Attached} THE BALL AT THE MANSION HOUSE WILKES THE REFORMER WAS ALSO WILKES THE PERENNIAL AND CONVIVIAL HOST. AN EASTER BALL THAT LORD MAYOR WILKES GAVE AT THE MANSION HOUSE ON APRIL 17, 1775 IS COMMEMORATED IN THIS ENGRAVING. A CONTEMPORARY REPORT NOTED THAT “THE FOOD WAS MUCH WARMER THAN COMMONLY IS THE CASE AT THESE GREAT DINNERS.” THERE WAS MUCH DANCING UNTIL THREE IN THE MORNING AND A LARGE ASSORTMENT OF LORDS, LADIES, AND CELEBRITIES, INCLUDING BOSWELL AND PRINCE PALLAVINCI, DESCRIBED AS “THE LATE POPE’S NEPHEW/”
27. Wilkes, John: THE BALL AT THE MANSION HOUSE, APRIL XVII, MDCCLXXV, THE RIGHT HONBLE JOHN WILKES, LORD MAYOR, G.B. Cipriani inv. et del; F Bartolozzi Sculp 1775, 8 X 7 1/8.
Creator
- Cipriani, Giovanni Battista, 1727 – 1785 (Person)
- Bartolozzi, Francesco, 1727 - 1815 (engraver) (Person)
- Wilkes, John, 1725-1797. (Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Wilkes University Archives Repository
Contact:
84 W South St.
Wilkes-Barre PA 18701 US
570-408-2000
570-408-7823 (Fax)
ask.archives@wilkes.edu
84 W South St.
Wilkes-Barre PA 18701 US
570-408-2000
570-408-7823 (Fax)
ask.archives@wilkes.edu