Featured Arlequin by John Rich, 1753. Anyone know more?

there's one of these in NY public library collection. Does anyone know more about the artist said to be John Rich, I have no information about him. Or any info about this piece? Was it well known back in the day?

 

If the NYPL doesn't have any info, will be tough going for us.

Addendum: You might see if he did any other commedia dell'arte figures.

 

Have you already looked at these?

https://worldoftheatreandart.com/grouth-harlequin-commedia-dellarte-harlequinade/

https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Rich

I'm wondering if it's not by Rich; it's of Rich.

 

https://londonist.com/london/history/londoners-of-note-john-rich-pioneer-of-panto

https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/the-story-of-pantomime

 

This makes it clear that John Rich is the subject, not the author:

https://www.nypl.org/research/resea...=https://catalog.nypl.org/record=b12149006~S1

 

He's carrying a "slapstick". The father of English pantomime.



https://www.erudit.org/en/journals/lumen/2012-v31-lumen0356/1013074ar/

 

This commercial site dates the engraving to 1818. I don't know why.
https://www.granger.com/results.asp?image=0005082&itemw=4&itemf=0001&itemstep=1&itemx=43

I found another commercial source that had the same date, but also didn't say why.