Agreement between John Trumbull, William Sharp and Anthony Poggi to engrave and publish a print of “The Sortie made by the Garrison at Gibraltar"

This contract relates to the making of an engraving after a painting in the Museum's collection, John Trumbull's "The Sortie made by the Garrison at Gibraltar in 1781," oil on canvas, 1789 (1976.333). It sheds light on how large reproductive engravings were financed, produced, and published in late eighteenth-century London, outlining the responsibilities of painter, engraver, print-seller, and treasurer, with much attention given to financial matters. By August 1789, Trumbull had raised nearly four hundred pounds from subscribers, and it had been agreed that the engraver, William Sharp, would eventually receive 1,200 guineas for his work. He agreed to finish work on the plate within four years although, in the end, the related print (2006.265) would not be published until 1799. The delay likely influenced by the French Revolutionary War, which Britain joined in 1792