Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a print by the Romanticist artist George H. Every. It dates from 1845 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
The print presents a three‑quarter‑length portrait of a seated woman, rendered in a formal, mid‑nineteenth‑century dress with a low V‑neck and long sleeves.
The print presents a three‑quarter‑length portrait of a seated woman, rendered in a formal, mid‑nineteenth‑century dress with a low V‑neck and long sleeves. She gazes directly at the viewer, her dark hair gathered in an up‑do, while a cloudy sky and a solitary column form the backdrop. In her right hand she holds a jeweled laurel wreath placed on a presentation box that also bears two commemorative medals.
Subject & Meaning
The sitter is identified as Fanny Cerrito, a celebrated Romantic ballerina. One of the medals affixed to the box is dated 1840, commemorating her debut season in London, underscoring her rising fame and the public recognition she received during the early years of her career.
Technique & Style
Engraved by George H. Every after a design by A. Soyer, the work exemplifies mid‑Victorian printmaking, combining fine line work with delicate shading to convey the texture of the dress and the softness of the sky. The composition balances portraiture with symbolic elements—laurel wreath and medals—to emphasize achievement within a Romantic aesthetic.
History & Provenance
Published in 1845 by R. Gambart Junin & Co., the print circulated shortly after Cerrito’s London triumphs, serving both as a tribute and a commercial item for admirers. Its attribution to Every and Soyer reflects the collaborative practices of the period, where designers and engravers often worked together for mass‑produced portrait prints.
Artist & collection
Artist
A printmaker active in the mid-1800s, Every made single-sheet images sold to the public.
