Portrait of Helena Fourment 1780

William Dickinson created this mezzotint portrait of Helena Fourment in England during the late 18th century, basing it on a painting by Peter Paul Rubens. Considered in its time, the image creates meaning through its references to elite culture. The original painting would have been known to a relatively small number of wealthy collectors. Dickinson's print makes the image accessible to a wider audience, participating in a growing market for reproductive prints. Note the inscription mentioning that the original picture was in the collection of B. Bates, M.D., of Aylesbury, suggesting the social milieu of the print's intended audience. The work reflects the increasing commercialization of art and the expanding role of prints in disseminating artistic images. To understand its social and institutional context fully, one could research the market for prints in 18th-century England, and trace the collecting habits of people like B. Bates.