James Heath (1757-1834)
Pamela
1785
Engraving
4 1/2 x 2 3/4″ (11.43 x 6.985 cm)
Wetmore Print Collection, Connecticut College
FW-0090
Heath’s Pamela (1785 edition) reflects the rising political and cultural power of Britain in the late 18th century. As more engravers were trained in Britain, British art became independent from the French style. French engraver Gravelot adopted classical methods to depict Pamela (1742 edition), drawing nude first and then adding clothing to ensure vividness and functional proportion of the figure. In contrast, Heath presented the illustration as a whole, which was framed ornately and was more detailed than Gravelot’s. In this way, Heath’s Pamela, published in 1785, was independent of the French style.
