Gérard Scotin (1698-1755) (engraver)
Plate 11 [Quarterstaff Sparring]
James Miller, London: 1738
Black-and-white engraving
13.5 x 16.5 inches
$600

Two men sparring with quarterstaffs, a method of combat with sticks. Print is dedicated "To the Right Honourable William Earl of Albemarle," bearing his coat of arms, comprising a crowned shield with three scallop shells flanked by crowned lions rampart, and surmounted overall by a crown, with mottos Tria Jin Uno and Ne Cede Malis. Elaborate rococo border of trees, vines, and foliage.

Gérard Scotin was a French engraver active in England. He came from a family of Parisian engravers, and executed work after Watteau and other artists there before travelling to England, where he worked as a book illustration engraver.

Condition: Very good with the usual overall light toning and wear and faint almost indiscernible foxing. Margins trimmed, but platemark still present.

References:

"The British Quarterstaff Association." http://www.quarterstaff.org/frame.html (21 January 2003).

"Gérard (-Jean-Baptiste) Scotin, II." The Grove Dictionary of Art. New York: Macmillan. 2000. Artnet.com. http://www.artnet.com/library/07/0770/T077014.asp (21 January 2003).