William Cantrill

A Nations Wish, Success to Lord Wellington

William Cantrill's original etching, A Nations Wish, 'Success to Lord Wellington poses intriguing possibilities and questions. A very scarce etching, the only other impression I was able to locate is housed in the collection of the British Museum. Aside from its connection to the Napoleonic wars (the print was probably made shortly before Wellington's ultimate defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo in June of 1815) the importance of this etching lies in the identity of the artist. The British Museum lists William Cantrill as both a "printmaker" and as a "servant/slave". He served as porter to the Marchioness of Stafford, later the Duchess of Sutherland, and, in 1812, produced a set of six etchings entitled, Etchings from Original Pictures in the Cleveland House Gallery …, which he dedicated to her.

Apart from A Nations Wish, 'Success to Lord Wellington' and the set of six etchings nothing else is known of the artistic work and life of William Cantrill, which should come as no surprise considering he was a "servant/slave", especiallly if he was of African descent. The fascinating question thus arises is how could such a possible victim of slavery produce art (particularly in the technically demanding medium of etching) at such an early date? Slavery was not abolished in the British Empire until the passing of the Emancipation Act in 1833.

A Nations Wish, 'Success to Lord Wellington'

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Title:	A Nations Wish, 'Success to Lord Wellington'
Artist:	Cantrill, William (England, Active 1812 - 1815)
Date:	c. 1812 - 1815
Medium:	Original Etching
Note:	William Cantrill: While little is known of the life of William Cantrill, the lives of his masters are anything but anonymous. Elizabeth Leveson Gower (1765-1839) was Marchioness of Stafford and Duchess of Sutherland. In 1785 she married George Granville Leveson-Gower (1758-1833), who was a powerful member of Parliament and carried the title of Viscount Trentham. Leveson-Gower later served as Ambassador to France and became a Privy Counsellor in 1790, a Knight of the Garter in 1806 and the Duke of Sutherland in 1833
	Through both an inheritance and through his marriage to Elizabeth Sutherland, George Granville Leveson-Gower became the wealthiest man of his time. Nicknamed "the leviathan of wealth", he amassed a huge art collection. Elizabeth Leveson-Gower was also an amateur artist. One of her landscape watercolours is in the collection of the Tate Museum.
	It thus seems likely that William Cantrill was exposed to art through the activities of both his Master and Mistress. Elizabeth, in particular must have encouraged this possible African servant in his artistic activities, most notably in etching the old master paintings housed in the Leveson-Gower Cleveland House Gallery. The aforementioned set of six etchings from his hand in the British Museum bears the following text on the wrapper, "Etchings from Original Pictures, in the Cleveland-House Gallery, Drawn, Etched, and Dedicated to the Marchioness of Stafford: by her Ladyship's Porter." The British Museum set also contains a dedication sheet in which these words are written: "To the Marchioness of Stafford: may it please your Ladyship, the following six etchings, being first attempts by an untutored hand, from the fine originals in the Gallery at Cleveland-House, are most humbly dedicated by your Ladyship's obedient, grateful, and dutiful servant, William Cantrill, your Ladyship's porter."
	It is only speculation as to why the Marchioness permitted her porter ("servant/slave") to devote at least some of his time to the art of etching. Did he accompany her on her painting expeditions, perhaps carrying her supplies? On these trips did she let him dabble away with pencil and watercolours? Was she surprised that he could draw so competently, without any formal training? Why did she actively encourage his talents? Did she take this poor unfortunate under her generous wing as an act of kindness or did she promote his art simply as a passing diversion for the idle rich? Answers to these questions may never be known.
	Neither the Duke nor Duchess of Sutherland rank high in the annals of philanthropy. Between 1811 and 1820 they were the main force behind the infamous "Highland Clearances", where thousands of poor, Scottish tenants were forcibly evicted from their homes. Such acts, however, shed no light on Elizabeth's particular relationship with her porter, William Cantrill. In the end we are left with a most early and scarce etching by a possible African artist in which he sincerely wishes for the best outcome of the military campaign of Arthur Wellesley (1769-1852), better known as the Duke of Wellington. A Nations Wish, 'Success to Lord Wellington is indeed a unique and fascinating work of art.
Reference:	* http://www.britishmuseum.org. A Nations Wish, 'Success to Lord Wellington' may be found online under the British Museum Registration Number: 1917,1208.2497 BM. The above quotations are taken from the Curator's comments which appear on each of the six etchings under the title, Etchings from Original Pictures in the Cleveland House Gallery … .
Size:	7 1/4 X 5 5/8 (Sizes in inches are approximate, height preceding width of plate-mark or image.)
	Framed and Matted with 100% Archival Materials

Buy Now	Price: $695.00 US
Condition:	Printed upon thick nineteenth century wove paper and trimmed to the plate-mark. Containing some scuffing both in the image and margins, else in fair condition throughout. A Nations Wish, 'Success to Lord Wellington' is a most compelling, scarce and early work of original art from the hand of William Cantrill, servant/slave, porter and printmaker to the Marchioness of Stafford.
Subject:	William Cantrill, original etching, A Nations Wish, 'Success to Lord Wellington' , "servant/slave", probable African descent, Elizabeth Leveson Gower (1765-1839), Marchioness of Stafford and Duchess of Sutherland, George Granville Leveson-Gower (1758-1833), Cleveland-House, Arthur Wellesley (1769-1852), the Duke of Wellington.
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