Description
This bowl displays portraits copied from a broadside printed in London in June 1768. The portraits depict the Englishmen John Wilkes (left), an outspoken advocate of political reform and American liberty, and Lord Mansfield (right), who tried to silence Wilkes with charges of libel. Satirical coats of arms surround their portraits. Wilkes is flanked by his close associates and defenders, while Lord Mansfield appears with George III and the devil by his side. American colonists viewed Wilkes as an avatar of liberty and free speech.
Provenance
Joseph J. Carbone, Boston, by 1954; sold to Frederick Standish Colburn (1878–1957), Evanston, IL, 1954; bequeathed to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1958.
Accession Number
7830
Medium
Hard-paste porcelain, glaze, with enamels in colors, and gilding
Dimensions
11.1 × 26.4 cm (4 3/8 × 10 3/8 in.)
Classification
punch bowl
Credit Line
Bequest of Frederick S. Colburn