The Ball at the Mansion House April XVII, MDCCLXXV, The Right Honorable John Wilkes, Lord Mayor - Francesco Bartolozzi

A refined 1775 stipple engraving by Francesco Bartolozzi, depicting an allegorical scene created for a ball hosted by Lord Mayor John Wilkes.

This stipple engraving by Francesco Bartolozzi, after a design by Giovanni Battista Cipriani, serves as a commemorative ticket or invitation for a ball held at the Mansion House in London on 17 April 1775. The event was hosted by John Wilkes, who served as the Lord Mayor of London during that period. The composition reflects the aesthetic preferences of the late eighteenth century, employing a classical vocabulary to elevate a civic occasion.

At the centre, a seated female figure, likely representing the City of London or a classical deity, holds a caduceus, a symbol associated with commerce and peace. She is surrounded by a group of putti, who engage in a lively dance, mirroring the festive nature of the event. The scene is framed by an oval border of oak leaves and acorns, which rest upon a plinth bearing the inscription of the event details. The use of stipple engraving allows for delicate tonal gradations, creating a soft, painterly effect that was highly fashionable in British print culture at the time.

Bartolozzi, an Italian engraver who spent much of his career in London, was a master of this technique. His collaboration with Cipriani was frequent, and together they produced numerous works that blended classical mythology with contemporary social life. The inclusion of the cornucopia at the base of the figure suggests prosperity and abundance, themes appropriate for a civic celebration hosted by a prominent political figure like Wilkes. The work provides a glimpse into the intersection of eighteenth-century social ritual and the refined artistic output of the period, demonstrating the technical precision and decorative sensibility that defined the era's printmaking.