Sir Joseph Banks, Bart. K.B. F.R.S. Tallis engraving c1851.

by John Tallis & Company

Antique print of Joseph Banks. Decorative Tallis engraving from the oil painting in the British Museum.

Joseph Banks (1743-1820) made a huge financial contribution to the first joint British Royal Navy-Royal Society scientific voyage around the world, led by James Cook (1728-1779). A great naturalist, Banks chose and paid the scientific personnel, travelled with Lieutenant James Cook in Endeavour, and discovered and had recorded by his artists, much previously unrecorded Australian flora and fauna.

Original fine steel engraving, using mezzotint and stipple engraving, by English portrait engraver Henry Robinson (fl.1827-1872), from the original Sir Thomas Lawrence painting in the British Museum. Sir Joseph Banks, Bart. K.B: P.R.S. (Ob.1820) Published in London circa 1851 by Joh Tallis & Company, London & New York. This portrait has fine later hand-colour.

This would be one of the most exquisitely engraved of all Tallis portraits. Between 1850 and 1856 Tallis & Company were renowned for the decorative engraved borders and related scenes that they added to their accurately engraved maps and prints. The time and skill required to do the finely engraved embellishments became too slow and too costly to continue. Tallis were among the last to finely embellish their antique print and map subjects.

The top left corner of the page is missing, and there is soiling within the engraved area towards top right.Page measures 285 x 190mm (11.25 x 7.5 inches). The engraved area measures 18 x 23cm (approximately 7 x 9 inches).