{"title":"Alfred Jones","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"sparking-alfred-jones","title":"Sparking - Alfred Jones","description":"\u003cp\u003eA nineteenth-century engraving depicting a domestic courtship scene, capturing the quiet intimacy of a rural home.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003cp\u003eThis engraving, titled Sparking, is a reproduction of an original oil painting by Francis William Edmonds. Published by the American Art Union in 1848, the work captures a quiet, domestic scene of courtship in a rural setting. The term sparking refers to the nineteenth-century practice of a suitor visiting a young woman at her home, often under the watchful eye of family members.\n\nThe composition centres on a young couple seated before a hearth. The man leans back in his chair, engaged in conversation, while the woman focuses on her needlework. The light from the fire illuminates their figures, creating a warm, intimate atmosphere that contrasts with the shadowy corners of the room. In the background, a second figure is visible through an open doorway, occupied with household tasks. This secondary action provides a sense of narrative depth and realism to the scene.\n\nAlfred Jones, a skilled engraver, translates the tonal qualities of Edmonds' painting into a monochrome medium through precise line work and cross-hatching. The texture of the wooden floorboards, the fabric of the clothing, and the rough masonry of the fireplace are rendered with technical accuracy. As a publication of the American Art Union, this print was intended to bring contemporary American art into the homes of the middle class. It reflects the period's interest in sentimental, everyday subjects that celebrated domestic life and traditional social customs. The print remains a record of the collaborative relationship between painters and engravers during the mid-nineteenth century, documenting both the artistic style of Edmonds and the technical proficiency of Jones.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"margin-top:2rem;padding-top:1.5rem;border-top:1px solid #e5e5e5;\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-size:0.85rem;color:#888;font-weight:600;margin:0 0 0.75rem;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:0.05em;\"\u003eYou might also like\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:0.5rem;\"\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/en-nz\/products\/the-holy-family-agostino-carracci-1\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#2a555a;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003eThe Holy Family - Agostino Carracci — Agostino Carracci\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/en-nz\/products\/sinam-bassa-dominicus-custos\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#2a555a;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003eSinam Bassa - Dominicus Custos — Dominicus Custos\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Alfred Jones","offers":[{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ Small Square (30x30 cm) \/ -","offer_id":58036129497423,"sku":null,"price":37.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ Medium Square (40x40 cm) \/ -","offer_id":58036132118863,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ Large Square (50x50 cm) \/ -","offer_id":58036132151631,"sku":null,"price":55.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0833\/9292\/1935\/files\/Sparking_Poster_CompositorV1_1782264730796.jpg?v=1782264934"},{"product_id":"mexican-news-alfred-jones","title":"Mexican News - Alfred Jones","description":"\u003cp\u003eA detailed nineteenth-century engraving depicting a group of men gathered at a hotel porch to read news from the Mexican-American War.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003cp\u003eMexican News is a fine example of nineteenth-century American genre engraving. The work depicts a group of men gathered on the porch of the American Hotel, their attention fixed upon a newspaper held by a central figure. The scene captures a moment of collective reaction to news from the Mexican-American War, a subject that occupied the public consciousness during this period. The composition is arranged to draw the eye toward the centre, where the reader stands, his expression one of surprise or urgency. Surrounding him are various figures: a seated man smoking a pipe, a man leaning against a post, and others peering over shoulders to catch a glimpse of the headlines. To the right, a child and an older figure observe the commotion from the periphery, adding a layer of social observation to the narrative.\n\nAlfred Jones, a skilled engraver, demonstrates technical precision in his handling of light and shadow. The porch provides a sheltered space that allows for a play of light, casting the figures in varying degrees of illumination. The textures of the wooden structure, the clothing of the men, and the paper itself are rendered with care. This print reflects the popular interest in storytelling through art, where everyday occurrences in public spaces were documented for a wider audience. The inclusion of the 'Post Office' sign and the hotel signage provides specific context, grounding the scene in a recognisable American setting of the mid-nineteenth century. The work functions as a visual record of social interaction and the dissemination of information in a pre-digital era, where the arrival of a newspaper was a communal event of some consequence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"margin-top:2rem;padding-top:1.5rem;border-top:1px solid #e5e5e5;\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-size:0.85rem;color:#888;font-weight:600;margin:0 0 0.75rem;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:0.05em;\"\u003eYou might also like\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:0.5rem;\"\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/en-nz\/products\/adam-and-eve-marcantonio-raimondi\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#2a555a;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003eAdam and Eve - Marcantonio Raimondi — Marcantonio Raimondi\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/en-nz\/products\/allegory-of-ambition-and-sloth-philips-galle\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#2a555a;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003eAllegory of Ambition and Sloth - Philips Galle — Philip Galle\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Alfred Jones","offers":[{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ Small Square (30x30 cm) \/ -","offer_id":58178052981071,"sku":null,"price":37.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ Medium Square (40x40 cm) \/ -","offer_id":58179268968783,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ Large Square (50x50 cm) \/ -","offer_id":58179269001551,"sku":null,"price":55.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ Small Square (30x30 cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":58231602217295,"sku":null,"price":59.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ Small Square (30x30 cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":58231602250063,"sku":null,"price":59.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ Small Square (30x30 cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":58231602282831,"sku":null,"price":59.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ Small Square (30x30 cm) \/ White frame","offer_id":58231602315599,"sku":null,"price":59.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ Medium Square (40x40 cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":58231602348367,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ Medium Square (40x40 cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":58231602381135,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ Medium Square (40x40 cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":58231602413903,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ Medium Square (40x40 cm) \/ White frame","offer_id":58231602446671,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ Large Square (50x50 cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":58231602479439,"sku":null,"price":99.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ Large Square (50x50 cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":58231602512207,"sku":null,"price":99.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ Large Square (50x50 cm) \/ White frame","offer_id":58231602577743,"sku":null,"price":99.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Canvas \/ XS Canvas (20x30cm) \/ -","offer_id":58231602905423,"sku":null,"price":30.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Canvas \/ Small Canvas (30x40cm) \/ -","offer_id":58231602938191,"sku":null,"price":50.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Canvas \/ B2 (50x70 cm) \/ -","offer_id":58231603003727,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0833\/9292\/1935\/files\/Mexican-News_Poster_CompositorV1_1783670430830.jpg?v=1783670443"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.solisprints.com\/en-nz\/collections\/alfred-jones.oembed","provider":"Solis Prints","version":"1.0","type":"link"}