William Nelson GARDINER (Dublin 1766 - London 1814) "John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester" Original etching and manner punctuated by a drawing by Silvester Harding (1745-1809) who is also its publisher in London in 1794 within the graphic set of the work entitled "The Biographical Mirrour". Specimen printed on untreated paper, trimmed inside the impression of the slab without leaks, slightly burnished and with various traces of foxing, humidity and old gluing but overall in a good state of conservation. John Wilmot (1647-1680) was an English nobleman, poet, author of theatrical texts and courtier very close to King Charles II with whom he had a sometimes stormy relationship. The Earl of Rochester owed his fame for the most part to his satirical writings and his decidedly libertine behaviors that accompanied him throughout his life, appreciated excesses of all kinds, from alcohol abuse to the most eccentric sexual practices, had six children four by his wife Elisabeth Malet, a very rich heiress with whom he shared his passions. The original painting, by anonymous author, datable to around 1675, where Wilmot is represented in the sarcastic act of crowning his monkey, is part of the collections of the National Portrait Gallery in London. Bibliography: Benezit "Dictionnaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs et Graveurs" Paris 1976 vol.4 pag.615. Measurements in mm: 263 x 199 approx.