Genre prints
Related to the above were prints
which sought to convey a theme or topic from classical mythology or evoke a mood or milieu.
Some such prints are to be found in the mid 17th century, including Richard Gaywood’s
striking evocation of Democritus and Heraclitus. Prints of a similar type were produced
later in the century, often in mezzotint, for instance one by Isaac Beckett showing Cupid
and Psyche, the former lying naked on a bed while the latter looks down on him, while others
were equally risqué, for instance one showing a rather hypocritical-looking Puritan getting
excited by a seductively posed lady. One artist, Robert Robinson, seems to have specialised
in such mezzotints, including ones evoking classical scenes like ‘The ruind Temple of
Apollo’. Also relevant in this connection are the line engravings of imaginary landscapes
produced by an artist like Francis Place.