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Description: | bound volume (dimensions 54 x 38 x 6) inscr. on plinth "PETRUS ALEXEEWITZ MAGNUS DOMINUS / TZAR ET MAGNUS DUX MOSCOVIAE."; inscr. on plate b.l. "Iussu Britannicae Majestatis Godefridus Kneller Eques ad viuum Pinxit. 1697"; inscr. on plate b.r. "I. Smith Fecit & excudit."; inscr. on page t.r. hand-written in brown ink "35" 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.
Becoming known as Peter the Great, Peter I was Tsar of Russia from 1682 until his death. His portrait is positioned in this volume in a small group of portraits of foreign Royalty following portraits of the British Royalty. Smith's close association with leading portrait painter Kneller, author of this portrait, was key to his success. From around 1690 almost all engravings after portraits by Kneller, were executed by Smith. The ornate border around this image is fairly unusual in Smith's portrait prints. | 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 : HALF-LENGTH : ALBUM : OVAL FRAME : ARMOUR : JEWELLED STRAP : BRANCHES : PANELLED CORNERS : ENTABLATURE : CROWN : GLOBE : SWORD : SCEPTRE : TZAR : 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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