eggotinters of the i8th ^ igth Century ^ 3^y/t(ft^f/^^ ^ LaUp Caroline ]price Sir Joshua Reynolds, Ptr. John Jones, Esq. BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES OF XVIII &' XIX CENTURY MEZZOTINTERS NOT MENTIONED IN OUR TWO PREVIOUS BROCHURES NEW YORK M. Knoedler & Co. FIFTH AVENUE AT THIRTY-FOURTH ST. 1905 PUBLISHED AND COPYRIGHTED BY ;p. fenoeUIcr Si €o, 355 FIFTH AVE., N. Y. MCMV SRLF ''M M a s e z z URL oc/51^bV\ t e r s t n t • t n t. '' One of the most distinguished of English writers on the subject, Alfred Whitman, saj^s: " Fine mezzotints appeal to the least cultivated mind, while to the student and art amateur they are a never-ending source of fascination and delight." In the previous pamphlets due consideration of a number of fine engravers was foregone, the object of these preliminary studies being, as stated, to call attention to only the greatest men in the profession. In order, therefore, to treat the subject more comprehensively and completely there are now added brief accounts of a number of good scrapers, some of them far above the average, who extend the field surveyed well into the nineteenth century. The fine old mezzotints made upon copper showed signs of wear after twenty or thirty impressions had been taken from a plate. This accounts for the great scarcity and value of fine prints. At the present day it is the cus- tom to " steel face " the copperplates by means of an electrolytic process, whereby they are enabled to yield a great number of fine impres- sions. The old mezzotints being upon copper the grounding was much more tender and velvety than when the plates from which they were produced were of steel. Mezzotinting upon this metal was introduced by William Say in 1820, his first subject being the portrait of Queen Caroline, from which plate 1200 impres- sions were taken. There is noticeable in prints taken from steel plates a certain hardness which does not appear in impressions from copper plates. Richard Tompson and Alexander Browne Kitbarll flourished about 1690. It is uncertain whether STontDBOn they engraved or scraped. It is known that at 3^irtJ 1693^^^^*- they published fifty or more plates bear- ing the inscription " Tompson excudit." They were the first to issue " Counter Proofs." A SdcirantlCt Counter Proof is a reverse impression, printed iSrOlDnc from a proof on paper subjected to great press- ure while it is still wet and heavily charged with ink. Thompson engraved the portrait of Nell Gwynne and her two sons. The years which include his most notable works are those from 1680-1700. His skilful rendering of details \vas most distinguished and 10 showed that he understood the capabilities of his art. He scraped a number of portraits after Lely, Kneller, Dahl, Wissing, and Van Dyck. l^tlliamfi; The last of the mezzotint artists of the sev- enteenth century was Robert White, who did KofaCft his best work between 1680-1683. He was con- W^itC sidered a better line engraver than scraper. 1 645=1 70 4 He, however, showed considerable talent in his mezzotint portraits. He was the son of Robert White and pro- duced work of no small importance between 1714 and 1731. Before devoting his time to mezzotint work he took up portrait painting and line engraving. He it was to whom was (^eovvt given the credit of etching the subject before ^hitc grounding, a method followed by Richard Ear- |gyj, 1734. lorn and others. He also used the graver for ^Jbottt adding the black spot in the eyes. He did not produce m.any portraits. The notable position he holds in the art was due to his introduction of this preliminary etching the subject before anything else was done. Eldest son of t!ie famous line engraver. He was a mezzotint scraper of distinction, and if William ^^ ^^^ "°^ fallen into dissipated habits would ^aithhnrnt ^^'^^^ attained more of the quality of his most --- ^ I ^^. notable contemporaries. He engraved about fifty portraits, besides allegorical and other subjects. This engraver, the rival of John Smith, was of Hugenot descent, and came to England in the early part of the eighteenth century. He practised line engraving in Paris, but gave it up after reaching London, where he devoted his entire time to mezzotint, becoming a mas- ter of the art in a short time. His skill was so great that he was selected by Sir Godfrey 3^01)11 Kneller after the latter's falling out with John ^imon Smith, and engraved over forty of his por- 1675=1751 traits besides many from Dahl, Murray, and 9lbOUt Gibson. He did not confine himself to por- traits, though of these he executed nearly 200, but engraved many Biblical and fancy subjects. He was greatly influenced by John Smith, but was not up to his level in drawing and arrange- ment of details; but nevertheless when at his best his plates were excellent. As did his father he engraved several series of plates. These included twelve Hampton Court Beauties, five Philosophers of England, ten Sovereigns of England, and forty-three Kit-Cat Club. It may be of interest to know- that this last named club comprised forty-eight members who met at a tavern in Shire Lane, off Fleet Street, in London, called the " Cat and Fiddle," and kept by one Christopher Cat. The club also held meetings at Barn Elms, at the house of Jacob Jonson, who built a room for their purposes. He commissioned Sir God- frey Kneller to paint portraits of the members, having them made of uniform size to fit the spaces arranged for them. This size (36x28 3)^0 j)ll inches) afterwards became known as " Kit-jfabcr, ^V, Cat," which allowed of a portrait a little over 1684=1756 half-length. The twelve Hampton Court Beau- ties were all full-length in their original state, but were afterwards cut down to three-quarter length and retouched by Faber. (He was noted for this practice.) He produced some 500 plates. He was a careful and finished worker, but was at his best in the later years of his life when he showed a brilliancy that compares favorably with the best work of his time. In was in 1727 that Peter Pelh,am engraved the portrait of Rev. Cotton Mather, the first mezzotint executed in America. Before leav- Dctcr ^"^ England, the j^ear previous, he engraved Tklliam ^"^ published a number of plates. He married 1634=1733^^ his second wife the mother of John Single- iiSlbOUt *°" Copley, teaching him the first beginnings of his art. Pelham's mezzotint work is darker than usual, owing to his heavy handling of the rocker. The foregoing mezzotint scrapers are among the first period, towards the end of which mezzotint engraving was falling into decay. There were very few good workers, none to Cbomas ^o"^?^''^ with those at the end of the seven- ■ScarU teenth century. The real turning-point for jFlOUrtShci ^^^ great period took place in Dublin when in I'^'^S Thomas Beard, whom many think was born in England, was the first exponent, having engraved the first mezzotint in Ireland. His works are not numerous, but his name deserves to be remembered as the first man to produce a mezzotint in the Emerald Isle. He probably learned to scrape from John Brooks, who was ^tnlirfto mentioned in a previous pamphlet. i'flillfr Andrew Miller, Ireland, was a pupil of Faber, 1750 ■^^■' commencing work in 1737, continuing in Ireland until 1743 with success, producing up- wards of sixty plates which are rarely offered for sale. ( These three men. Brooks, Beard, and Miller, were the men who revived the art and the pioneers of the greatest period of the eight- eenth century. To Brooks especially should be given credit for establishing a school which numbered among its pupils some of the most illustrious engravers. Most of the pupils of Brooks were intemper- ate, so that although they all showed evidence of unusual ability they did not, owing to their vicious habits, arrive at the point they should have reached. anUretD fSlUltv continurti) —1760 Produced a few plates in Dublin, which, like those of Purcell's, are very rare. His work was not of great importance, owing to intem- perance. He died when about forty years old, having produced about fifty plates. He was much attached to McArdell, asking that he might be buried beside him, a request which was granted in December, 1767. Ford did not move to England as most of his fellow-pupils did, but remained in Dublin, succeeding eventually to Brooks' business. His Jlticbacl forU, 9 mezzotints are very scarce. It is supposed Michael ^'^'^'- '^^ ^^'^^ drowned when the " Dublin jForlJ Trader," which left Parkgate for Dublin Oc- (contilXUCj) tober 28, 1758, presumably founded, as neither the vessel nor he was ever heard of afterwards. KicbarU |)ottB;ton, 1721 = 1775 Houston was a man of great ability, a fel- low-pupil with McArdell under Brooks, with whom he came to London. There seems to ~^ be good reason to believe that as has been ^^^ , ^iy^suggested he might have excelled his fellow- pupil, McArdell, had his habits been more tem- perate. His execution was strong and bold, also tender and delicate as required. He scraped over 160 plates. He scraped a small number of plates be- tween 1748 and 1755, which are now very rare. Ktcl^atl] Like Houston, he contracted vicious habits, MorCEll, which led him into financial difficulties. He 1736=1765 Migraved a great many copies for the publisher Sayer, on some of which the names of Charles or Phillip Corbutt appear; while others are without the name of any engraver. These plates are often well done — as copies. His original work shows evidence of what would 10 have been his ultimate success had he not fallen ISicI)atU into bad habits. He engraved upwards of lOO purtfll plates. 1736-1765 Of Michael Jackson, Ireland, little is known, (cOTltinUCll) he having scraped but a few plates, the most memorable of which were " Nancy Dawson " and " Peg Woffington." He is supposed to J|^itl)ael have been an Irishman and companion of ^jtl^gon Houston, Spruce, and Purcell. Was in early life employed by a hatter, and is supposed to have learned the scrapers' art ©^toatfl from McArdell. He did some very fine work, ^ tfiytr in style resembling McArdell. The plate^730a785 which is considered his finest achievement is " Hope Nursing Love," after Reynolds, a work which compares favorably with any mezzotint. He scraped some seventy to eighty plates, his principal work being done from 1758-1781. He was originally a silver plate engraver. Af- terwards he took up mezzotinting, establishing '^nhn himself as a fine scraper in London when about zHirnn twenty-five years old. He engraved some large a^pfnrp important plates in 1773. When he was about 1 740,1780 thirty-five years old — he was a fine looking man — he married an heiress, and gave up to a large extent the practise of scraping to only making 11 a plate now and then as a pastime. His touch was delicate and refined, or bold and strong. A number of his works are much sought after, « L notably Miss Emma and Elizabeth Crewe, 5)irnn ^^^^^ Reynolds, and Miss Davidson. Of the 1740 ITSo''^^^^'^ there are only a few to be found, for the ^continucll^ subject having met with an untimeely death, the family had the plate and as many impres- sions as they could obtain, destroyed. Was an engraver of a most distinctive char- acter. His works were nearly all done in the last two years of his life. He did not devote his lifetime to scraping, but worked upon can- vas, painting a number of notable portraits. He also devoted a considerable part of his time to the making of china, for which he gained a jrfpf, great reputation. The undertaking was not I7l0-17o2prosperous, partly owing to the heavy tax upon the clay, which was brought from South Carolina, and partly to the fact that the glaz- ing was not a success. The work turned out, however, vv^as elegant in design and decoration, all of which was due to Frye. From the ruins of the factory arose those of Chelsea and Wor- cester. He ruined his health working over the furnaces for fifteen years, and was obliged to give it up, removing to Wales for his health 12 Qrt)oma£i where he painted portraits to pay expenses. Returning after a year to London he took up scraping again and did his most notable work, producing a series of eighteen life-size heads of men and women, of many of which the sub- ^yOmaS ject is unknown. Frye when unable to obtain a J'^?^ sitting from some notable personage was ac- '^ customed to make a sketch in the theatre. He ^f^'^ttnurB) became so well known that when any one was conscious of being sketched by him he or she would take a position to enable him to work more readily. Queen Charlotte was one of the notables to do so. These sketches, trans- lated by him into mezzotints, are of great beauty and most difficult to procure. The family of the late Lady Charlotte Schreiber have in their possession one of the finest com- plete sets. Frye died in his fifty-second year of consumption, the disease being contracted by dieting for corpulency and gout. Two years after his death the following appeared in " The Gentleman's Magazine": "No one was more happy in delineating the human countenance. He had the correctness of Van Dyck and the coloring of Rubens. In miniature painting he equalled if not excelled the famous Cooper." 13 This artist was one who marks the com- mencement of the great period. He lived from about 1730 to 1776, and did his best work dur- ing the last ten years of his life. Many of his plates are large and show considerable knowl- edge. They must, however, be seen at a dis- tance to be fully appreciated. He engraved 3fol)n about thirty plates and gained two premiums .f inlapson ^^ the Society of Arts and was a member of 17304 776 '^he Free Society of Artists. His work was 9tbOUt varied in its excellence, some plates being very good, others exceedingly poor. The ground- ing of his plates indicates different handling or methods which may be accounted for by the fact that many engravers employed their pupils to do this work. Very little is known of his life. Watts 1—1 A publisher, line engraver and scraper of a few plates of considerable merit. Watts flourished from 1770 to 1786. His portrait of Joseph Baretti, an Italian, after Reynolds, attracts more at- tention than any other, not only from the fact of its being one of his best plates, but because the subject was a great friend of Dr. Johnson and was one of the principals in a brawl in the Haymarket in which a man was stabbed. Ba- li retti was tried for the murder, but acquitted, on the ground of self-defence. He was ap- pointed Secretary for Foreign Correspondence 'TtnUn to the Royal Academy. He was teacher of ^att« Italian and an author. About the life of the /,^„4.;«^.>.\ engraver very little information is obtainable. The most noted scraper of candlelight sub- jects, although he was a master of portraiture as well. His greatest plates are after Rem- brandt and Wright of Derby. The latter's works are principally candlelighted pictures, and Pether rendered them with astonishing ability in black and white. Pether was a rest- less man who was not satisfied to remain in l^illtani one place, frequently changing his residence Pctl)Cr from London to the provinces and back again. 1738--1821 Unfortunately, he outlived his popularity, mak- ing but few plates in the last years of his life, but devoting his time to teaching, drawing, and cleaning pictures. He was over eighty years old when he died. Was a protege of Sir Joshua Reynolds, who brought him from Italy when he was but fif- ®UtSSfpe teen years old, and made him his assistant to i"arC0l help him in his less important work, paying i74-7--l808 15 him a small sum for his services of six months. Some time after he took up mezzotinting and for ten or twelve years produced a few^ plates which displayed great skill. Sir Joshua was of great assistance to him. Although his work was brilliant and brought him fame it lacked individuality. Living as he did during the ^ntfiirppe period of the greatest scrapers, his style was ilHarcI)i not distinctive enough to be separated from (COntinUfU)them. He found, after Reynolds' death, that the occupation of cleaner and restorer of his master's pictures was an occupation much more lucrative and so devoted himself to it. Prob- ably his greatest work is Miss Cholmondeley carrying a dog across a brook. Was in his zenith about 1780. He engraved 1i}I)tItp a number of candlelight pictures after his mas- ^atDE ter, George Henry Morland. He worked also un- ^itlJ ITSOder Hogarth. His work was full of merit, being ^bout very carefully finished, but having a certain hardness. 1730-1795 There were two brothers, John and Jona- ajljj than. Jonathan was a map drafter and orna- 2ronatl)ail ment engraver, while John kept a print shop S^pilsbntp 'ifd published a number of Jonathan's mezzo- 16 tints, which were simply signed " J. Spilsbury, Fecit." This fact has led to a confusion which prevented the separation of the two brothers, making the history of Jonathan most difficult to detetrmine. So little is positively known that the dates of his birth and death have never 'jJOQH been satisfactorily settled. It is known, how-^* 30-1795 ever, that his last contribution to the exhibi- ^^'^ tion of the British Institution was in 1807. His ilo|)atOan most commendable work was the portrait of ^P"^''**'^P» Miss Jacobs, after Reynolds, for which the So-C^^*^*"^^^^) ciety of Arts awarded him a premium. One • • authority states that Jonathan Spilsbury was a portrait painter. He produced some fifty plates during thirty years. Was a young man when he commenced his career as a scraper, for he gained a Society of Arts premium when he was only twenty-one years old. James Watson, his partner and William senior by three years, of whom we have pre- ^ icttinSOn, viously made mention, was an artist of very 1740 -.1823 much the same style as Dickinson. Their com- bining together in the publishing business was considered a very fortunate circumstance. 17 In their work they closely resembled one an- other, which resulted to their mutual advan- tage. Dickinson scraped about lOO plates, William ^^^ ^ highly accomplished craftsman and 7ni,<.;«-.~« worked with great delicacy of finish. Most /'.~«♦;„^.^■>.^OI his work was portraiture. He made a large Opiate showing George III. seated in his coro- nation chair. The head was altered to look older some years afterwards. In style he resembled Earlom, although he is believed to have been a pupil of Pether. His work is considered good, his great fault being in drawing, in which he was notice- ably deficient. Living as he did at the time when the greatest masters were exhibiting their Holltrt works he loses much by comparison. Never- ^unfearton theless he produced some admirable plates, l744-lSl7working industriously from 1770 to 181 1. One ^bont of his best portraits was that of Mrs. Horneck, after Reynolds. He commenced his career as a portrait painter, but did not continue after 1779. It is believed that he died before 1817, as his name is not mentioned in an art publi- cation of that date. He engraved many book illustrations. 18 Sir Joshua Reynolds, Ptr. Samuel Cousins, Esq. Was both a stipple and a mezzotint en- graver. His list of portraits in mezzotint num- bers thirteen, but he made a number of animal subjects. His most important being a " Tyger," after Northcote, and a " Tigress," after Stubbs. These are uncommonly fine. The date of his death is unknown. He was still living in 1820. His greatest period was between 17S0 until the first few years of the nineteenth century. 1748-1800 about In the early stage of his life Townley prac- ticed the painting of portraits upon ivory. He studied in Italy and Germany and made a num- ber of plates in Berlin, among them being C-yarlCfi Frederick II. of Prussia, Prince Frederick with QlOiunlrp Frantzein, Catherine II., of Russia, Count Orloff. 1746-1 800 Some of his plates are dated 1800. He probably slbOUt died in the early part of the nineteenth century. The work of this artist was quite ordinary. Probably his best plate was that of Sir Joshua Reynolds, with hat and academic gown, done under the eye of Sir Joshua. 19 Was the son of a sea captain. At an early- age he became a pupil of the eminent engraver, Valentine Green, from whom he acquired a great knowledge of the art. He worked upon a number of portraits in England until 1784, when he went to Russia, having been selected as engraver to Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Catherine. Here he remained for seventeen years. There is a marked difference in those plates done in England, owing, it is surmised, 2faint8i to the difference of the metal, Russian copper W&lktV being much the harder. The English plates 17484808 are considered the finer. Walker's technical skill was great. There are not many of his Russian plates in existence, they having been lost at sea while en route for England, owing to the wreck of the ship in which they were being carried. Probably the best Russian plate was after Rembrandt's " Old Woman and a Boy Reading." Probably one of the most delicate of the mezzotint scrapers. Many of his productions appear weak and worn. He, however, stood jiopn a-^canhigh and was much sought after and selected I750=l798to engrave many of the children painted by Sir Joshua. His work must be closely and 20 carefully examined to be fully appreciated. One will find in it the touch of a delicate and refined hand. His style is quite individual. He was a pupil of Valentine Green. John Dean_^ _ and James Walker were most successful in-^ t -n rendering the works of George Romnej'. ^ ) Many of Dean's plates and prints were de- stroyed by fire in 1889. The plates which best illustrated his style are " Cupid as a Link Boy," and " Alercury as a Pickpocket," painted by Reynolds and engraved in 1777. Started his career as a pupil of Sir Joshua Reynolds, remaining with him about three years. Not being successful in painting por- traits he turned his attention to mezzotint engraving, in which he did some good work. His plates are nearly all dated 1779, and of ^iUtain six portraits mentioned by Chaloner Smith ^onffI)tp four were after his master, Sir Joshua, one by Gardiner, and one portrait of himself, possibly by himself. In 1780 he left England for Ben- gal. The ship was captured and put into Lis- bon, where he died. One of his best works is the portrait of William Mason, after Reynolds. 7—1872 21 Produced but few plates, devoting most of Cbtillias '"^ ^'"^^ ^^ literary pursuits, in which he be- Darfe came very distinguished. His most important I7604S35 work was the portrait after Reynolds of John Thomas, Bishop of Rochester, in robes. Very fine. feenrp' l^utiison. I7504S17 Was not distinguished, having done about a dozen portraits, which showed iinish and great comprehension of the art. His works range from 1782 to 1793. Was a nephew of the celebrated Alderman John Boydell, to whose business he was ad- mitted as a partner, and upon the death of his uncle was elected alderman in his place. He was a pupil of Richard Earlom, and displayed considerable talent. There are five portraits catalogued by him. He also executed a num- ber of subject pieces. He was a devotee of art, and painted a number of pictures, some of which have been engraved. Pupil of John Dixon. He executed a few QTIjOmafii portraits in mezzotint, but devoted his time to •^Stirfet, the chalk method, producing a number of 17494815 works after Angelica Kauffman, with whom he was a special favorite. 22 Was a nephew and pupil of Sir Thomas Gainsborough. It was not, however, by the portraits he painted that he gained a reputa- tion, for they were not of the highest class. , He succeeded much better in his scraping, *^3lll0l)Or= particularly so in his productions after his^^^" ^^' uncle's paintings. They were nearly fac-sim- ^ 1767 1707 iles of them in black and white, the master's *'^'-*^'^' distinguishing characteristics being all repro- duced. If Dupont had lived longer we might have had more graceful and elegant full-length portraits after Gainsborough to place beside those of Reynolds. An engraver whose work did not stand out prominently among those of the great masters, Jl'^^fPO nevertheless he attained a notable position, ^^O^CV and would have been considered greater had^""^*^ 1755 his work not suffered by being brought into'*'^^^'-^ 1799 contact with that of the very highest class. He possessed many pleasing qualities. He is supposed to have been a pupil of J. R(C,harIcS E). Smith. He left England in 1794 for Amster- l)otj^e0 dam. His best works were done previously to I7644S37 this date — 1784-89. Frequently in the ground- ing of his plates his work was so coarse as to 23 produce the effect of stipple. He scraped about thirty-eight portraits, one, the well-known sub- ject of "The Guardian Angels," after Reynolds, 0''harlr« T^ ^"*' ^^'^ finest work was that after his own por- IhnTitrrs trait of Rutger Hans Schmmelpenninck, for he rrnnttntirti^^^'^^ '^ painter also. He was a clever workman, having the faculty of reproducing the spirit of the original. For all his talent he was not financially successful, and after getting into difficulties he left England and turned his at- tention to collecting prints and plates for print sellers in England. He died in Amsterdam in 1837. Was a pupil of J. R. Smith and succeeded him in business. He was a man of many good qualities and a good scraper, although there .-J- . was a feeling of heaviness in his work. He ?9nnnrr I'^ed at a time when it was the fashion to iJCn 109- engrave scenes from the popular plays. Prob- ably his best plate represents a prizefight be- tween Broughton and Stevenson. He was ap- pointed engraver in mezzotint to the Prince of Wales in 1789, Keeper to the British Insti- tution about 1813, and was Honorary Secre- tary to the Artists' Benevolent Fund. After 1820 he made a series of outline engravings from the pictures in some of the celebrated galleries. 2-i Was particularly an engraver of animal sub- jects, fights between horses and bulls, and so 0coxat forth, from his father's paintings. He did not ^o^unlCP do many, but those he did were well done. S^tubbS 1756-1815 Showed talent at the early age of sixteen, having then scraped two large plates which were surprisingly good for one so young. He was taught the art from his father, Philip, but ^tOV^t did not continue long in it, prefering the paint- -UanJf ing of portraits. From the work he has 1/81-1829 left behind, one could easily believe that he might have become a scraper of prominence had he continued. The foregoing artists were more or less identified with the great mezzotinters of the eighteenth century. We now propose to add a few worthy men of the nineteenth century ^ilUain when steel was more in vogue than copper. S>ap As previously stated, the first person to intro-l76S-lS3't duce it was William Say, who was born in 1768. When twenty he became a pupil of James Ward. His early work was closely identified with that of his master. Later in life he changed his style, owing to the influ- ence of the newer method of work. The Brit- 25 ish Museum has a collection of all the plates he executed between 1795 and 1834, presented in 1852, eighteen years after his death, by his son. It is noticeable that Say's work impresses one with a presentment of the decline of the art, for though his work is filled with richness l^illtnm and beauty, it does not attain the high merit ^ap of that of his predecessors. His work covered (C0ntinucl3)many fields of composition, including por- traiture and still life subjects. He did many of the most distinguished people of his time. The practise of using a " remarque " in mez- zotint originated with Say and his contem- porary, George Chub. S»amufl William 1773-1S35 Born in the West Indies, Was a pupil of Hodges. He was drawing- master to the young princesses, daughters of William IV., and received the appointment of engraver to George III. He was a most rap- id worker, and finished many subject and por- trait plates. While in Paris, where he lived in 1826, he established a great reputation as a painter as well as a scraper and became an exhibitor at tlie Salon. He published a set of small mezzotint illustrations of 350 of the portrait paintings by Sir Joshua Reynolds, but 26 of these many were engraved by his pupils. One of them, Samuel Cousins, said that he ^amtirl did a great number; in fact, we have seen a William great many with the autograph of Cousins Kcpnollia upon them. S. W. Reynolds' pupils were David (continucll) Lucas and William Whiston Barney. Pupil of S. W. Reynolds. This artist de- voted only a small portion of his life to scrap- ing, having abandoned the profession for the William army, in which he became distinguished dur- ^^j^ifitOlX ing the Peninsular War. As a scraper he did 43arnep some admirable work, one of his best plates 1 — 7 being the portraits of Lord George and Lord Charles Spencer, after R. Cosway. This artist worked in the first half of the nineteenth century when mezzotint engraving passed through many changes. Turner's work embraced all the different methods, his earliest work being the pure mezzotint on copper or mezzotint with the foundation of etching, af- *1/03'^"S terwards changing to the mixed method, this *iHirn.cr • • 1774 W'^Y bemg a combination of etching, mezzotint, i' '^'-*c-" stipple and aquatint on steel. He engraved nearly 700 plates and was made an A. R. A. in 1828. One of his finest plates is " The Ship- wreck," after J. M. W. Turner. 27 Cbomas This artist did not attain a very high level as a scraper, but did some very commendable work. He worked during the first half of the nineteenth century, working therefore upon both copper and steel. He engraved from pic- tures by the best artists. The portrait of Prince Talleyrand, after Scheffer, represents perhaps his best work, although Lawrence's George IV. full-length portrait is a very good example of his style. Sons of the steel engraver, William Bromley. John Charles attained a higher place than his brother, owing, perhaps, to his longer and more robust life, for James died when he was only thirty-seven, having in that time produced a jlohn number of very commendable plates, princi- CharltlS pally portraits, while his brother, John Charles, ■^roittlCP directed his efforts to subject pictures, such as 1795-1839 " The Trial of Lord William Russell," after Hayter, " Lady Jane Grey Refusing the '5famCB Crown," after Leslie, and " Entry of Welling- •iSromlCP ^°" '"^° Madrid," after Hilton. Many of his I SO I IS3SP'^*'^^ ^''^ produced in the mixed method, for he lived and scraped during the period when steel was used in preference to copper. 28 Was a pupil of S. W. Reynolds, and the fav- orite engraver of Constable, who took a strong liking to him when he was very young, and he afterwards engraved many of his works. Art- ist and engraver often sat side by side working out together the problem of translating color into black and white. It was owing to this close friendship that so many of Constable's paintings have been so truthfully translated. The finest mezzotint of a landscape ever pro- duced was the one scraped by Lucas after Con- stable's painting, " The Rainbow." Although his work often looks black and heavy there is great power and his renderings of Constable's morning landscapes with their broad brush marks are wonderfully like the originals in sympathetic feeling. It is interesting to note that the greatest landscape of artist and en- graver was published at the height of the painter's fame and that he died three days after. Lucas devoted almost his whole life to landscapes. He published a set of plates of English landscapes. Constable being his backer in the enterprise. Lucas IS02 7 29 Pupil of George Clint, assistant to Samuel W. Reynolds, and first instructor to Samuel Cousins. He did a great deal towards the in- _ troduction of steel, but was not the first to R ff n t introduce it. He was awarded for his eflforts , J'r. !';?i^'^'^y the society of Arts the Isis Medal in 1822. His work was delicate and full of strength of tone. His landscapes and sea views are good. He scraped a number of J. M. W. Turner's sea pieces, and three of the Liber Studiorum set. Pupil of Robert Graves, a line engraver. He worked in line, but his principal plates were in mezzotint. He did a number of portraits of ^fobn leading men in science, literature, etc., which KiCJ^arti were fine in quality. He was a highly finished 3facfeS0n scraper; in fact, was the best of the modern l8l9:lS77men. Nearly all his portraits were of men. He scraped a number of subject pictures also. |)rnrp 1783-4847 Was a pupil of Bartolozzi and gained a good reputation in this method. His mezzotints, which numbered about fifty portraits and a number of subject pictures, gained for him a local reputation, but were not of the highest order, for he was deficient in both draftsman- ship and execution. His best known plate is 30 Miss O'Neill as " Belvidera," after Davis. He |)cnrj> was a nephew of Hoppner and painted a num- ;|^eper ber of portraits. (conttnttcU) Was an engraver in stipple as well as in mezzotint. In the latter method he scraped about 100 plates, mostly private ones. He was an accurate draughtsman and was noted for accurate likeness and faithful rendering of l^tUiam textures. His portraits are almost entirely of ^(il^tX eminent men, only one woman being on record, 1791-1867 Lady Charlotte Schreiber, a well-known art amateur. This artist scraper, educated at the Parish School in Exeter, came into the world of poor parents, was in the opinion of many experts, the greatest mezzotint scraper of the nine- teenth century. One of his most noteworthy gtamitcl features is his wonderful drawing. He scraped CoUfiilXfi upon the soft copper in the early days, but^sOblSO? after the introduction of steel in 1820, he worked almost entirely upon the latter metal. The requirements of the harder metal were necessary for the larger production of perfect impressions. He did much to improve the method of work with the result that the mezzotints from his hand have much more 31 §»amud of the quality of the greatest period than any of the nineteenth century men. His first work was done when he was only fourteen years, and was from a pencil por- trait he made of the great actor, Edmund Kean, being at the time a pupil of S. W. Rey- nolds. The drawing of this portrait was made from life at the suggestion of S. W. Reynolds, a great friend of the actor, and who asked him to pose for it. The work of his master and his ov/n were closely allied. j\Iany plates bear- ing the name of S. W. Reynolds were done by dLOUfitUfii t^iig younger man. He received more honors (COUtlllUCojj-j^a^ji ai-iy artist of his profession, the Royal Academy honored him with " R. A." He lived to the good old age of eigthy-six years, en- graving i8o portraits, fifty-seven subject pic- tures, and eighty-nine small ones from paint- ings by Sir Joshua Reynolds, published 1820-24. His eyesight was remarkable, for it is said he employed glasses only in the few last years of his life. Cousins never engraved a portrait by Gainsborough. He regretted this so that when the Duchess of Devonshire was shown him and he was asked to make an engraving of it he was most happy that the opportunity was presented, even though so late in life. He was. 32 however, doomed to disappointment, for as is well known this picture was stolen. The S)ainttcl last picture engraved by Cousins was his own CoufiinS portrait after Edwin Long, which was Pointed ('f(mj(mjp^\ in 1883 and engraved in 1884. Most of Cous- ins' plates are done in the mixed method. 33 SnUfjr Barney, Wm. Whiston 27 Lucas, David 29 Beard, Thos. 8 Lupton, Thos. 30 Boydell, Josiah 22 Bromley, James 21 Marchi, Guiseppi 15 " John Chas. 28 Meyer, Henry 30 Brook, J. 9 Miller, A. 8 Burke, Thos. 22 Murphy, John 19 Cousins, Samuel 33 Park, Thos. 22 Pelham, Peter 8 Dawe, P. 16 Pether, Wm. 15 " Geo. 25 Purcell, R. 10 Dixon, J. 11 Dickinson, Wm. 17 Reynolds, Sam'l Wm. 26 Dean, John 20 Dupont, Gainsborough 23 Say, Wm. 25 Dunkarton, Robt. 18 Simon, J. 6 Doughty, Wm. 21 Spooner, Chas. 9 Spilsbury, Jonathan 16 Faithorn, W. Faber, J. Jr. 6 7 Stubbs, Geo. Townley 25 Finlayson, John 14 Thomson, Rich'd. 4 Fisher, E. 11 Townley, Chas. 19 Ford, M. 10 Turner, Chas. 27 Frye, Thos. 12 Walker, James 20 Grozer, Joseph 23 Watts, John 14 White, G. 5 Hodges, Chas. H. 23 R. 5 Hodgetts, Thos. • 28 Williams, R. 5 Hudson, Henry 22 Houston, R. 10 Young, John 24 Jackson, John 30 M. 11 34 GOERCK ART PRESS 7th AVE. AT 53d ST. HI/lll»in/,r.^,t^.^f^£G'OWL L'BRARVFACIL TV ^^ 000 321824