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John Quincy Adams

 

Engraving

 by

Thomas William Hunt (1818-1899)

after 

Savinien Edme Dubourjal (1795-1853)

 Engraving de la Viuda de Roca y Hermano, Barcelona 

John Quincy Adams was a brilliant diplomat, jurist, and politician who served as the sixth President of the United States (1825–1829). Prior to his arrival at the White House, he established what is considered the most successful diplomatic career in the nation's history, serving as ambassador to major European powers (Prussia, Russia, Great Britain, and the Netherlands) and, subsequently, as an extraordinary Secretary of State under the administration of James Monroe. In this civilian role, Adams was the true architect of the Monroe Doctrine and the key negotiator of the Adams-Onís Treaty with Spain, securing the peaceful acquisition of Florida and formally extending the borders of the United States to the Pacific Ocean.

His presidency focused on proposing an ambitious program of national development and internal infrastructure. He firmly advocated for the creation of a federal network of roads and navigation canals most notably the expansion of the Erie Canal as well as the founding of a national university and public astronomical observatories to foster the advancement of the sciences. In the territorial sphere, he sought to regulate borders through diplomacy an aspect represented in the vignette at the bottom of your engraving by the Osage Treaty of 1825.

Steel engraving, and Stipple engraving  

Condition

Paper: Presents notably clean conditions in the central zone and the upper perimeter area. Oxidation is moderate, concentrating primarily in the lower-left corner and the lower-right margin.

Printing: The intaglio definition is magnificent. The burin work on Adams's stern features and characteristic baldness exhibits very high contrast, and the dense lines of the background shading within the oval are rendered with absolute sharpness.

Technical Description

Main Portrait: Adams is depicted in a three-quarter pose, facing to the right. The engraving accurately captures his mature physiognomy and the high collar of the period's civilian attire, based on an original drawing by the French painter S. E. Dubourjal.

Upper Iconography: Dominating the upper finial is a decorative pedestal supporting an inkwell with crossed quills and an unfurled scroll bearing the word "TREATY," a direct reference to his prolific and celebrated career as a diplomat and international negotiator.

Lower Vignette:  The circular scene depicts a key historical event of his administration: the "Treaty with the Osages," signed in 1825. It portrays Adams—or his civilian representatives seated at a table, negotiating with Native American leaders of the Osage tribe in a frontier setting.

Signatures: At the lower extremities of the oval, the credits appear with complete clarity: on the left, the draftsman "Dubourjal," and on the right, the British engraver "T. W. Hunt" (Thomas William Hunt).

Editorial Reference: At the top, the heading reads: "HISTORIA DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS. P. 31" (History of the United States, p. 31).

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