Artwork
Banditti Taking His Post
Banditti Taking His Post is an ink print by the Romanticist artist John Hamilton Mortimer. It dates from 1778 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower center in plate: BANDITTI taking his post. / Publish'd Dec.r 8 , 1778, by I. Mortimer
About this work
Overview
Banditti Taking His Post is an etching on wove paper created by British artist John Hamilton Mortimer in 1778. The print is a representative work of Mortimer's style, showcasing his use of dramatic imagery.
Subject & Meaning
The etching depicts a lone bandit on a rocky outcropping, gazing down at a path below, his cloak blowing in the wind. The scene is likely inspired by popular 18th-century tales of bandits, which Mortimer transformed into a tense, narrative-driven image.
Technique & Style
Mortimer employed rough lines and deep shadows to convey a sense of tension in the scene. The use of black-and-white etching on wove paper adds to the dramatic effect, characteristic of his romanticized and often war-themed works.
History & Provenance
John Hamilton Mortimer was a British painter and printmaker who served as President of the Society of Artists in 1774. He died in 1779 at the age of 39, a year after creating this etching.
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Artist & collection
Artist
John Hamilton Mortimer (17 September 1740 – 4 February 1779) was a British figure and landscape painter and printmaker, known for romantic paintings set in Italy, works depicting conversations, and works drawn in the…
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