Portrait of Charles II in penmanship
Repository URI
Repository DOI
Change log
Authors
Description
A portrait of Charles II done almost entirely in calligraphy flourishes. Printed on the frozen Thames. The text reads: 'Invented Performed by Command of Hand & Engraven by John Seddon. Carp not at what you see for tis no more. Then th'untaught Act n'er Grav'd before.' The claim to be untaught, the skill of the hand, the relationship to inborn talent, and the pun on 'carp' (given the depictions of carp in the image) create the links to the Ingenium, Ingegno, Genius and Wit.
Keywords
Ingenuity: Ingenium, Ingenuity: Ingegno, Ingenuity: Genius, Ingenuity: Wit, Calligraphy, Portrait, Pun, Pen, Autodidact
Is Part Of
Publisher
The British Museum