Lot Essay
Born in Boston in 1727, John Greenwood worked as an engraver and portrait painter in that city during his early career. In 1752, he left Boston for Surinam, where he painted portraits for the next five years. By 1758, Greenwood was working as an engraver in Holland. Greenwood's career ended in London, where he was settled by 1762 as a dealer in art and curios. See Groce et al, The New-York Historical Society's Dictionary of Artists in America, 1564-1860 (New Haven, 1957), p. 275.
The drawing offered here, presumably a scene from one of Greenwood's travels, appears to take place in a boat yet is also a reference to Hogarth's famous 1732 painting A Midnight Modern Conversation.
The drawing offered here, presumably a scene from one of Greenwood's travels, appears to take place in a boat yet is also a reference to Hogarth's famous 1732 painting A Midnight Modern Conversation.