 Very
few large-format engravings or lithographs of Alexander
Hamilton, one of our founding fathers and great early
patriots, have been produced. Unlike other
illustrious founders such as Franklin, Washington, Adams
or Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton was a more polarizing
figure, being the central founder of the Federalist
party and having strong opinions about the role of the
Federal Government from those held by Republicans such
as Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.
Nevertheless, Hamilton remains in the pantheon of great
American founders, having served as an aide-de-camp to
George Washington during the Revolutionary War, and
later as a Lieutenant Colonel at the Battle of Yorktown.
One of his most prominent founding roles was as a
primary author, along with James Madison, of the
Federalist Papers which helped form the principles of
the United States Constitution. Later, as the
first Secretary of the Treasury under George Washington,
Hamilton established the foundation for our national
finance, resulting in a framework for capitalism and
wealth building that remains a cornerstone of American
ideals.This
beautiful large-scale color mezzotint of Hamilton was
printed in 1932 by Scottish artist Thomas Hamilton
Crawford (b. 1857, d. 1947). The work is a major
accomplishment and a beautifully executed mezzotint.
Although I've been unable to establish a relationship
between Thomas Hamilton Crawford and Alexander Hamilton,
it's very possible that Crawford was a distant
descendant in the family of Alexander Hamilton's father,
James A. Hamilton. James A. Hamilton was the fourth son
of the Scottish laird Alexander Hamilton of Grange,
Ayrshire, Scotland. Although Alexander Hamilton was born
out of wedlock in the British West Indies, and claims of
illegitimacy and of not being born in the American
colonies was a source of contention in his life,
Hamilton clung to his Scottish background for legitimacy
as a British subject, Scotland itself having become part
of the British Empire in 1707.
Very few copies of this
print appear in public collections, and it's not known
how many copies Crawford made before retiring the plate.
In all likelihood, few of them were produced, since the
printing of such a large colored mezzotint would have
been time consuming and costly. Crawford signed
each of the copies of the mezzotint in pencil in the
bottom right corner. The print, despite being made
in the early 20th century, is one of the finest
depictions of Alexander Hamilton. |
