Portrait of John Gerry (1745)

Joseph Badger is the artist behind "Portrait of John Gerry", dated 1745. Historical background, 1745: In Japan, ukiyo-e woodblock printing flourished in the Edo period and made colour prints a popular and affordable art form. The Enlightenment and the habit of the Grand Tour fed a wider interest in science, travel, antiquity, and natural history, and illustrators accompanied many expeditions. Figurative, a short history: Figurative art depicts people and recognisable scenes, and it has been central to European painting since antiquity. Portraits, group scenes, studies of the nude, and pictures of daily life all belong to figurative art. The catalogue places it in Figurative. The format is portrait.

Buying "Portrait of John Gerry" means getting a digital file, not a physical print: Digital JPEG + PDF files, 300 DPI, delivered by email once payment is confirmed. A 300 DPI file is intended for printing at home or at a local print shop, where you can choose a matte, satin, or fine-art paper to suit the room. A portrait format suits narrow wall spaces, hallways, and the area beside a door or window. Figurative works draw attention to the human presence, the gesture, and the emotional tone, so they work particularly well as a standalone focal point in living rooms, studies, and bedrooms. A simple frame with a mat often helps an image settle comfortably into a room. Choosing a standard frame size and printing to fit it often saves the cost of custom framing. Matte and fine-art papers reduce glare in bright rooms, while glossy papers give stronger contrast and deeper blacks. Hang the print away from direct sunlight, which over the years can fade any printed colour.

American, 1708–1765

If you like the visual language of Joseph Badger, explore more works by the same artist in our collection.