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Description: | bound volume (dimensions 54 x 38 x 6) inscr. on plate below image "Christopherus Wren Eques AEdificiorum Regalium per totam ANGLIAM / Præfectus, Basilicæ PAULINAE, Templorum, Operumque Publicorum Urbis LONDINESIS / Post fatale Incendium Ao. Dni. MDCLXVI, Architectus, Curatorque Generalis. / A.D. 1713, AEt. 81"; inscr. on plate b.l. "G. Kneller S.R.Imp. et Angl. Eques Aur. Pinx. 1711. J. Smith Fec."; inscr. on plate b.r. "Sold by J. Smith at ye Lyon & Crown in Russell street Covent Garden"; inscr. on page t.r. hand-written in brown ink "82" 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 Kneller, author of this portrait, was key to his success. From around 1690 almost all engravings after portraits by Kneller, were executed by Smith.
This portrait of the renowned architect, mathematician and astronomer Sir Christopher Wren is included in the volume among a group of men of achievements in the worlds of medicine, art, literature, science or the military, toward the end of volume one. Wren, who was knighted in 1673, was a founder member of the Royal Society. | 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 : WIG : SIR : ARCHITECT : ST PAULS : OXFORD : SURVEYOR GENERAL : CHURCHES : 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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