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Description: | bound volume (dimensions 54 x 38 x 6) inscr. on plate below image "GODFRIDo. KNELLER Germ. / a Carolo II. Monarch Britain ad depingendum Ludovicum M in Gal. / Ciam missus; Pictor utrnq vere Regius. / A.O.C. MDCLXXXV."; inscr. on plate b.l. "G. Kneller"; inscr. on plate b.r. "I. Smith ex:" and "I. Beckett f."; inscr. on page t.r. hand-written in brown ink "3" CRE BECKETT, Isaac; (English; 1653-1688) 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 was key to his success. From around 1690 almost all engravings after portraits by Kneller, were executed by Smith. Prior to that, many, such as this one, were engraved by Smith's teacher Beckett. A mezzotint after a later portrait of Kneller by Smith is also included in this volume (Glaha 16342). | 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: | SELF PORTRAIT : HALF-LENGTH : ALBUM : OVAL : PORTRAIT PAINTER : CHARLES II : WILLIAM III : BARONET : GEORGE I : 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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