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Description: | bound volume (dimensions 54 x 38 x 6) inscr. on plate below image "Mr. Alexander Pope Æts. 28."; inscr. on plate b.l. "G. Kneller S.R.Imp. et Mag. Brit. Baronets. Pinx. 1716"; inscr. on plate b.r. "J. Smith fec. et ex. 1717."; inscr. on page t.r. hand-written in brown ink "94"
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.
When this portrait of poet Alexander Pope was made he had already produced some of his best works. Possessing painting skills himself he had a keen interest in art and Hunter owned a portrait which had previously been in Pope's possession. His portrait 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. | 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 : STANDING : CAP : BOOK : POET : WRITER : VOLUME : HUNTER 2007 : 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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