Portrait of Edward Edwards - Anthony Cardon

A refined stipple engraving from 1808 depicting Edward Edwards, the Royal Academy's teacher of perspective, executed by the Belgian engraver Anthony Cardon.

This stipple engraving depicts Edward Edwards (1738-1806), an English painter, teacher, and author who served as the Associate and Teacher of Perspective at the Royal Academy. The print is based on an original painting by the artist Ipee, as indicated by the inscription 'Ipee pinxit' at the base of the image. Anthony Cardon, a Belgian engraver active in London, executed the plate, which was published on 20 April 1808.

The portrait captures Edwards in a bust-length format, turned slightly towards the viewer. He wears a period-appropriate coat with a cravat, holding a small book in his hand, which serves as a nod to his academic and literary contributions. The stipple technique, favoured during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, allows for subtle gradations of tone and a soft, painterly quality that mimics the appearance of chalk drawings. The fine dots create a smooth transition between light and shadow, particularly across the face and the fabric of his clothing.

Below the portrait, the text identifies the subject and his professional titles, rendered in a formal script typical of Georgian-era publications. The composition is contained within a rectangular frame, set against a clean, cream-coloured paper background. This print provides a clear record of a figure who occupied a specific position within the British art establishment at the turn of the nineteenth century. It is a representative example of the commercial print trade in London, where portraits of academics and public figures were produced for distribution among the educated classes. The work remains in its original book-plate format, complete with the publication date and credit lines, offering a glimpse into the print culture of the Regency period.