Giovanni Battista Cipriani

The inscription underneath this original Giovanni Battista Cipriani etching reads; John Milton
"Drawn and etched MDCCLX (1760), by J. B. Cipriani a Tuscan at the desire of Thomas Hollis F. R. and A. SS. from a picture in the collection of the Right Hon. Arthur Onslow Speaker of the Commons House of Parliaments."

It is followed by the fourteen lines of verse, Sonnet VII written by John Milton, which reads as follows;

"How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth,
Stol'n on his wing my three and twentieth year!
My hasting days fly on with full career,
But my late spring no bud or blossom shew'th.
Perhaps my semblance might deceive the truth
That I to manhood am arriv'd so near;
And inward ripeness doth much less appear,
That some more timely-happy spirits endu'th.
Yet be it less or more, or soon or slow,
It shall be still in strictest measure ev'n
To that same lot, however mean or high,
Toward which Time leads me, and the will of Heav'n:
All is, if I have grace to use it so
As ever in my great Task-Master's eye." *John Milton

Portrait of John Milton as a Young Man was commissioned by Thomas Hollis (1720-1774) for use in his edition of John Toland's Life of Milton published in 1761. The plate was later re-issued in 1780 for Memoirs of Thomas Hollis by Francis Blackburne, London, J. Nicholls. The National Portrait Gallery, London, contains a 1780 second impression of the Francis Blackburne edition in their collection. Reference Cololection NPG D27829. The British Museum contains a 1760 'Proof before letters, Museum number P,3.196 and a 1761 first published impression of Portrait of John Milton as a Young Man in their collection, Museum number P,4.164.

The British Museum also has a portrait of Milton as a young man, Registration number 1895,0617.480. Although the portrait is similar, the etching is not the same as to G. B. Cipriani's Milton portrait originally created for John Toland's Life of Milton published in 1761, surrounded by the oval wreath of oak with the Liberty Bell centered at the bottom, W. N. Gardiner's portrait is displayed within a simple oval frame, lettered with the title by "Aetat 21", and production detail, "W. N. Gardiner Sculpt / From the Original Picture in the Possession of Lord Onslow at Clandon in Surrey / Purchased from the Executor of Milton's Widow by Arthur Onslow Esqr speaker of the House of Commons as certified in his own hand writing on the back of the picture /Published June 4 1794 by John and Josiah Boydell & Geo. Nicol. engraved by William Nelson Gardiner. The Onslow portrait painting of Milton at the age of twenty one was created by an unknown artist. It remained with John Milton's third wife. According to the words of George Vertue, the engraver, "This picture of Milton was painted in oil, had been in the family till the death of Milton's third wife..." It was eventually sold to The Hon. Arthur Onslowe, Speaker of the House of Commons. The whereabouts of the original painting are now unknown. According to the Exhibition Catalogue of the Commemorative of the Tercentenary of the Birth of John Milton 1608-1908, there were several engravings created after that painting, the first was George Virtue (1732), followed by Jacobus Houbraken (1741), Giovanni Battista Cipriani (1760) with some very rare impressions printed on green paper for Thomas Hollis and William Nelson Gardiner's portrait engraving is also listed as published in John and Josiah Boydell's 1794, first edition of The Poetical Works of John Milton.

In 1794, the four Milton portrait plates by Giovanni Battista Cipriani that were originally commissioned by Thomas Hollis for use in his edition of John Toland's 1761 Life of Milton were re-issued by John and Josiah Boydell & G. Nicol for the first edition of The Poetical Works of John Milton. Boydell also included the Cipriani portraits of Algernon Sydney, Andrew Marvelas and Edmund Ludlow, as well as two of William Nelson Gardiner's portraits, John Milton, Age 21 and John Milton, Age 62. "The Memoirs of Thomas Hollis, Volume 1 by Francis Blackburne states; "The prints which were engraved at the expense of Mr. Hollis, and presented in sets to his friends, were of Edmund Ludlow; John Milton, the boy; the same at twenty-one years of age; the same from a bust in plaster; the same from a crayon of Toland's John Milton victorious of Salmasus; Algernon Sydney; Andrew Marvell; John Milton, John Locke, Thomas Hollis, Dr. John Wallis: all by Cipriani.", Pg 503. This original G. B. Cipriani etching entitled, Portrait of John Milton as a Young Man was published in 1794 by J. & J. Boydell & G. Nicol for the first edition of The Poetical Works of John Milton, from the original plate commissioned by Thomas Hollis. Although many the plates were missing from the set, this etching was still bound into volume 1.

The artist biographies, research and or information pertaining to all the original works of art posted on our pages has been written and designed by Greg & Connie Peters exclusively for our site, (www.artoftheprint.com). Please visit us regularly to view the latest artworks offered for sale. We will soon be posting an update of our most recent research and include the biographical and historical information pertaining to our next collection of original works of art created by artists throughout the centuries. We hope you found the information you were looking for and that it has been beneficial.

Our Gallery, (Art of the Print / www.artoftheprint.com) guarantees the authenticity of every work of art we sell 100%. Full documentation and certification is provided. We offer a wide selection of international fine art dating from the early Renaissance to the contemporary art period.