Portrait of a Gentleman Resting his Chin upon his Left Hand

While portraits were the most common subject of British mezzotints, Frye’s studies differ dramatically in their intimate distance, their broadly modulated light, and above all their suggestion of momentary response and psychological nuance. Anonymous but highly individual, Frye’s subjects seem on the one hand to refer to the character studies of the great Venetian painter Piazzetta, and on the other to anticipate Romantic portraits, from the lithographs of Deveria to early photographs. Any of the twelve portraits in any quality of impression is rare. This is a superb impression of one of the most striking male subjects in the series.