RARE \"Mezzotint Engraving\" John Sartain Signed Check Dated 1873 for Sale

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RARE \"Mezzotint Engraving\" John Sartain Signed Check Dated 1873 For Sale

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RARE \"Mezzotint Engraving\" John Sartain Signed Check Dated 1873 :
$599.99

Up for sale aRARE! \"Mezzotint Engraving\" John Sartain Signed Check Dated 1873.

ES-1379

John Sartain(October 24, 1808 – October 25, 1897) was an English-born American artist who pioneeredmezzotintengravingin the United States. John Sartain was born in London, England. He learnedline engraving, and produced several of the plates inWilliam Young Ottley\'sEarly Florentine School(1826). In 1828, he began to makemezzotints. He studied painting underJohn VarleyandHenry James Richter. In 1830, at the age of 22, he emigrated to the United States and settled inPhiladelphia. There he studied withJoshua Shawand Manuel J. de Franca. For about ten years after his arrival in the United States, he painted portraits in oil and miniatures on ivory. During the same time, he found employment in making designs forbanknotevignettes, and also in drawing on wood for book illustrations. He was a 33 degree Mason. He pioneered mezzotint engraving in the United States. He engraved plates in 1841–48 forGraham\'s Magazine, published byGeorge Rex Graham, and believed his work was responsible for the publication\'s sudden success.[2]Sartain became editor and proprietor ofCampbell\'s Foreign Semi-Monthly Magazinein 1843. He had an interest at the same time in theEclectic Museum, for which, later, when John H. Agnew was alone in charge, he simply engraved the plates. In 1848, he purchased a half interest in theUnion Magazine, a New York City periodical. He transferred it to Philadelphia, where it was renamedSartain\'s Union Magazine, and from 1849–52 he published it with Graham. It became very well known during those four years. During this time, besides his editorial work and the engravings that had to be made regularly for the periodicals with which he was connected, Sartain produced an enormous quantity of plates for book illustrations. Sartain was a colleague and friend ofEdgar Allan Poe. Around July 2, 1849, about four months before Poe\'s death, the author unexpectedly visited Sartain\'s house in Philadelphia. Looking \"pale and haggard\" with \"a wild and frightened expression in his eyes\", Poe told Sartain that he was being pursued and needed protection;Poe asked for a razor so that he could shave off his mustache to become less recognizable. Sartain offered to cut it off himself using scissors.[4]Poe had said he had overheard people while on the train who were conspiring to murder him. Sartain asked why anyone would want to kill him, Poe answered it was \"a woman trouble.\" However, later when Sartain let Poe stay the night with him at his house, Poe informed him that he may have been hallucinating. This incident was four months before Poe\'s death.[3]Poe gave Sartain a new poem,The Bells, which was published inSartain\'s Union Magazinein November 1849, a month after Poe\'s death.Sartain\'salso published the first authorized printing ofAnnabel Lee, also posthumously. After his arrival in Philadelphia, Sartain took an active interest in art matters there. He held various offices in the Artists\' Fund Society, theSchool of Design for Women, and thePennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and was actively connected with other educational institutions in the city. He had visited Europe several times, and on the occasion of his second visit in 1862 he was elected a member of the society \"Artis et Amicitiæ\" inAmsterdam.Sartain had charge of the art department of theCentennial Expositionin Philadelphia, in 1876. In recognition of his services there, the king of Italy conferred on him the title of cavaliere of theOrder of the Crown of Italy. His architectural knowledge was frequently requisitioned: he took a prominent part in the work of the committee on theWashington MemorialbyRudolf SiemeringinFairmount Park, Philadelphia, and he designed medallions for the monument toGeorge WashingtonandLafayetteerected in 1869 inMonument Cemetery, Philadelphia. HisReminiscences of a Very Old Man(New York, 1899) are of unusual interest. Upon his death in 1897, Sartain was buried in Monument Cemetery.[8]Shortly before his death, ThePhiladelphia School of Design for Womencreated the John Sartain Fellowship in recognition of his 28 year tenure as Director In 1956 the cemetery was condemned by the city and given toTemple Universitywhich cleared it for a parking lot. Sartain\'s body was not claimed and he and approximately 20,00 The tombstones, including the cemetery\'s 70 feet high central monument toGeorge WashingtonandGeneral Lafayetteand his family monument (all designed by Sartain) were dumped into theDelaware Riverto serve as the foundations for theBetsy Ross Bridge.