Marcellus Laroon - Self-Portrait c. 1700 Oil on Canvas (Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection)
. . .Unlike the highly formalized portraits upon which he was employed by Kneller, Laroon's Cryes of the City of London Drawne after the Life demonstrate an inventive variety of pose and spontaneity of composition. Each subject is permitted individual attention with close observation to the detail of their clothing as an integral expression of their identity. Portrayed with an unsentimental balance of stylisation and realism, all Laroon's figures are presented with grace and poise, even if they are wretched . . .
The Gentle Author's Cries! of London (p. 8)
For additional reference links about Laroon, and his works, go HERE.
"Cryes of the City of London Drawne after the Life" Engraved by John Savage and published by Pierce Tempest in 1687. Forty (4) designs initially commissioned by Tempest and later expanded to seventy-four. Reprinted from same plates until 1821.
