18th Century Van Dyck Engraving: 1788 Philadelphia and Elizabeth Wharton Portrait

This elegant 18th-century line engraving is based on the original 1640 portrait by Sir Anthony van Dyck , a masterpiece that once resided in the illustrious collection at Houghton Hall in Norfolk, England. The painting was part of the famed Walpole collection, which was acquired in 1778 by Catherine the Great of Russia . Today, the original artwork is preserved in the State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg , adding significant historical importance to this printed version.

The engraving was executed by Pieter Stevens van Gunst (1659-1724) , a highly regarded Dutch engraver known for his precision and refined technique. Van Gunst's engraving skillfully translates the richness of Van Dyck's Baroque portraiture into a detailed and expressive print.

This edition was published in 1788 by John Boydell (1720-1804) —one of the most influential printsellers and publishers of the 18th century—as part of his monumental two-volume project, The Houghton Gallery . This publication, undertaken with his nephew Josiah Boydell , aimed to reproduce the renowned Houghton collection for a wider European audience and remains one of the great achievements of Georgian-era printmaking.