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Description: | bound volume (dimensions 54 x 38 x 7) title inscr. on plate b.c. "The Countess of Ranelagh"; inscr. on plate b.l. "G. Kneller Eques pinx: I. Smith fec"; inscr. br. "Sold by I. Smith at the Lyon and Crown in Russel Street Covent Garden" CRE SMITH, John; (English; 1652-1743) AFTER KNELLER, Godfrey, Sir; (English; 1646-1723) PUB SMITH, John; (English; 1652-1743) Part of William Hunter's original bequest, this is one of three volumes which together contain 488 mezzotints, almost all made or published by John Smith. About two thirds are portraits of eminent late Stuart, early Hanoverian persons, and one third fancy and mythological subjects.
Instrumental in raising the standard of mezzotint portraits, Smith was the first British printmaker to gain a European reputation, and examples of his work were essential for any serious early to mid 18th century European print collection.
Hunter's set of volumes is a rare surviving example of a comprehensive collection of mezzotints compiled in the 1730s.
Smith's close association with leading portrait painter Godfrey Kneller, author of this portrait, was key to his success. From around 1690 almost all engravings after portraits by Kneller, were executed by Smith.
Margaret Cecil was the daughter of the Earl of Salisbury. She was married to politician Richard Jones, Earl of Ranelagh following the death of her first husband. Her portrait is positioned in a group of portraits of duchesses and countesses in volume two. | License: | http://www.hmag.gla.ac.uk/spirit/rights/ | Publisher: | Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery, University of Glasgow | Rights holder: | Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery, University of Glasgow | Subjects: | PORTRAIT : THREE-QUARTER LENGTH : ALBUM : SITTING : EARRING : COUNTESS : RANELAGH : VOLUME : HUNTER VOLUME : | Source: | Hunterian Museum | Creator: | Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery, University of Glasgow | Identifier: | http://www.huntsearch.gla.ac.uk/cgi-bin/... | Language: | en-GB | Go to resource |
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