Thomas Patch

The English painter and engraver Thomas Patch was a friend of Joshua Reynolds, whom he accompanied to Italy in 1747. Patch settled first in Rome, where his landscape capriccios were especially popular with British travellers doing the Grand Tour. In 1755 he moved to Florence, where he continued to reside until his death, earning his living by painting vedute and genre pieces. He also showed a considerable interest in the history of art, as is illustrated by his engraved reproductions of the works of the main Florentine masters of the 14th and 15th centuries, such as Giotto, Ghiberti, Masaccio and Fra Bartolomeo. In so doing, Patch was one of the first to draw attention to the work of these artists at a remarkably early stage.

This etching, described by Nagler as a “very fine and rare print”, is a bizarre self-portrait of the artist. The depiction probably belongs to a series of whimsical caricatures that Patch, an unorthodox artist of outstanding originality, compiled in Florence around 1768/69. The motto “Qui se humiliat exaltabitur” (Whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased) is taken from chapter 14 of St. Luke’s Gospel and should be interpreted as a self-critical reminder of the need for humility. The artist portrayed as a resting ox gazes at the viewer with a pensive and slightly introspective look on his face. The cow bell around his neck is a pointer to his low, servile status. In the background the Tuscan landscape around Florence opens up to afford a view of the dome and the bell tower in the city. The subject is rendered with a light and deft touch that respires the spontaneity of a pen-and-ink sketch. 
A fine, contrasting impression with margins around the distinctive platemark. Minor ageing, otherwise in very good condition.

12.000 €