Trade Card for F. Paton, Printmaker 1884

Frank Paton created this trade card for his printing business using etching, a process involving acid to create an image on a metal plate. The image is of a street scene in London. It likely dates to the late 19th century when the etching revival was underway in Britain and artists sought to elevate printmaking to the status of the fine arts. This trade card satirizes the art world of Victorian London, using figures dressed in classical garb and street urchins as symbols of the cultural establishment and the economic realities of the time. Note the figure in the window looking down on the scene, perhaps a commentary on the art critic. The presence of the E.E. Leggatt Gallery suggests the institutional framework in which Paton was working. Was he questioning the role of the commercial gallery? To understand the social commentary embedded in Paton's work, we can explore resources on Victorian printmaking, art criticism, and the social history of London.