His Royal Highness Prince Albert - George Baxter

Gift of Henry M. Huxley

"His Royal Highness Prince Albert" by George Baxter (1855) Steel etching and stipple printed in brown, with block printing in colors (from 9 blocks), on laid paper, laid down on original stamped mount.

Commentary

"His Royal Highness Prince Albert" by George Baxter (1855) invites a close look at how form and feeling work together. The print-based method rewards close viewing, where line, texture, and contrast do most of the expressive work. Themes to notice i nclude wood engraving. This piece is held in the source collection's Prints and Drawings collection. George Baxter is the artist behind this work. A useful anchor for reading the piece: George Baxter (English, 1804-1867) after John Partridge (Scottish, 1789-1872). The work is cataloged within a England cultural context. How to look at this work: It is cataloged as wood engraving, which gives a clue to how the museum frames the object. Its medium (Steel etching and stipple printed in brown, with block printing in colors (from 9 blocks), on laid paper, laid down on original stamped mount) affects texture, durability, and how detail reads at different distances. Its listed dimensions (Sheet: 10.8 × 7.7 cm (4 5/16 × 3 1/16 in.); mount: 21.9 × 16.8 cm (8 5/8 × 6 5/8 in.)) suggest how intimate or monumental it may feel in person. Subject cues from the catalog include wood engraving. Compare this reading with the museum record at the source collection: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/54228

Sources: Art Institute of Chicago; Art Institute of Chicago / Public Records; Art Institute of Chicago Collection Data