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Elisha Kirkall

Elisha Kirkall (c.1682–1742) was a prolific English engraver, who made many experiments in printmaking techniques. He was noted for engravings on type metal that could be set up with letterpress for book illustrations, and was also known as a mezzotint artist.

Heroic Stormy Landscape, mezzotint and etching printed à la poupée in two colours, after Jan van Huysum, 1724

Life

 
One of the seven Raphael Cartoons in Kirkall's 1722 mezzotint edition

Born in Sheffield, Kirkall was son of a locksmith. Around 1702 he came to London, and found employment in the book trade. He also studied drawing at Great Queen Street Academy.[1]

Kirkall married early in life, to Elizabeth; a second wife was called Deborah. He died in Whitefriars in December 1742, leaving a son, Charles, then aged about 22.[1][2]

Works

As a book illustrator, Kirkall used etching and metalcut, with line engraving as "white line". From his first times in London, book ornaments he provided as raised metal proved very popular with publishers. In the 1720s he innovated with use of the mezzotint rocker tool to simulate chiaroscuro.[2] A reputation for wood engraving was apparently based on misapprehensions, and the attribution to him of woodcuts in Samuel Croxall's edition of Æsop's Fables (1722) was guesswork.[1]

Works included:[1]

His mezzotint engravings were often printed in green ink, and occasionally printed à la poupée in a variety of colours. In this manner he published by subscription sixteen views of shipping by William Van de Velde the younger, the seven Raphael cartoons, hunting scenes by Johann Elias Ridinger, and other works.[1]

With his new method of chiaroscuro engraving, Kirkall produced a copy of Ugo da Carpi's chiaroscuro engraving of Æneas and Anchises, after Raphael, and a number of reproductions of drawings by Italian masters. In a similar manner he engraved a portrait of Sir Christopher Wren by John Closterman, in an architectural frame designed by Henry Cook; and a portrait of William Stukeley for whose antiquarian works he engraved standard copperplates.

Later plates for the booksellers included:[1]

  • Those for Oldsworth and others' translation of Homer's Iliad (B. Lintot, 1734);
  • Alexander Pope's translation of the same work (B. Lintot, 1736);
  • The plates to an edition of Inigo Jones's Stonehenge (1725); and
  • For James Gibbs's A Book of Architecture (1728), 73 plates.[2]

A portrait by Kirkall of Eliza Haywood, prefixed to her Works in 1724, earned for him a couplet in Pope's Dunciad. After William Hogarth published in 1732 his major set of engravings The Harlot's Progress, Kirkall made free copies in mezzotint, printed in green, and published from his house in Dockwell's Court, Whitefriars, in November of that year.[1]

Other engravings by Kirkall included:[1]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Cust, Lionel Henry (1892). "Kirkall, Elisha" . In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 31. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
  2. ^ a b c d e Clayton, Timothy. "Kirkall, Elisha". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/15654. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

External links

Attribution

  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domainCust, Lionel Henry (1892). "Kirkall, Elisha". In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 31. London: Smith, Elder & Co.

elisha, kirkall, 1682, 1742, prolific, english, engraver, made, many, experiments, printmaking, techniques, noted, engravings, type, metal, that, could, with, letterpress, book, illustrations, also, known, mezzotint, artist, heroic, stormy, landscape, mezzotin. Elisha Kirkall c 1682 1742 was a prolific English engraver who made many experiments in printmaking techniques He was noted for engravings on type metal that could be set up with letterpress for book illustrations and was also known as a mezzotint artist Heroic Stormy Landscape mezzotint and etching printed a la poupee in two colours after Jan van Huysum 1724 Contents 1 Life 2 Works 3 Notes 4 External linksLife Edit One of the seven Raphael Cartoons in Kirkall s 1722 mezzotint edition Born in Sheffield Kirkall was son of a locksmith Around 1702 he came to London and found employment in the book trade He also studied drawing at Great Queen Street Academy 1 Kirkall married early in life to Elizabeth a second wife was called Deborah He died in Whitefriars in December 1742 leaving a son Charles then aged about 22 1 2 Works EditAs a book illustrator Kirkall used etching and metalcut with line engraving as white line From his first times in London book ornaments he provided as raised metal proved very popular with publishers In the 1720s he innovated with use of the mezzotint rocker tool to simulate chiaroscuro 2 A reputation for wood engraving was apparently based on misapprehensions and the attribution to him of woodcuts in Samuel Croxall s edition of AEsop s Fables 1722 was guesswork 1 Works included 1 The frontispiece to William Howell s Medulla Historiae Anglicanae 1712 Plates for Michel Maittaire s edition of the works of Terence 1713 Plates for the Tonson amp Watts translation of Ovid s Metamorphoses 1717 Plates for Nicholas Rowe s translation of Lucan s Pharsalia 1718 and For Richard Bradley s The Gentleman and Gardener s Kalendar 1718 2 His mezzotint engravings were often printed in green ink and occasionally printed a la poupee in a variety of colours In this manner he published by subscription sixteen views of shipping by William Van de Velde the younger the seven Raphael cartoons hunting scenes by Johann Elias Ridinger and other works 1 Chiaroscuro woodcut portrait of Sir Christopher Wren With his new method of chiaroscuro engraving Kirkall produced a copy of Ugo da Carpi s chiaroscuro engraving of AEneas and Anchises after Raphael and a number of reproductions of drawings by Italian masters In a similar manner he engraved a portrait of Sir Christopher Wren by John Closterman in an architectural frame designed by Henry Cook and a portrait of William Stukeley for whose antiquarian works he engraved standard copperplates Later plates for the booksellers included 1 Those for Oldsworth and others translation of Homer s Iliad B Lintot 1734 Alexander Pope s translation of the same work B Lintot 1736 The plates to an edition of Inigo Jones s Stonehenge 1725 and For James Gibbs s A Book of Architecture 1728 73 plates 2 A portrait by Kirkall of Eliza Haywood prefixed to her Works in 1724 earned for him a couplet in Pope s Dunciad After William Hogarth published in 1732 his major set of engravings The Harlot s Progress Kirkall made free copies in mezzotint printed in green and published from his house in Dockwell s Court Whitefriars in November of that year 1 Other engravings by Kirkall included 1 A mezzotint portrait of Senesino the singer after Joseph Goupy A set of thirty plates of flowers after Jacob Van Huysum Plates of shipping after Thomas Baston and Mezzotint plates after Peter Monamy 2 Notes Edit a b c d e f g h Cust Lionel Henry 1892 Kirkall Elisha In Lee Sidney ed Dictionary of National Biography Vol 31 London Smith Elder amp Co a b c d e Clayton Timothy Kirkall Elisha Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online ed Oxford University Press doi 10 1093 ref odnb 15654 Subscription or UK public library membership required External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Elisha Kirkall Attribution This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain Cust Lionel Henry 1892 Kirkall Elisha In Lee Sidney ed Dictionary of National Biography Vol 31 London Smith Elder amp Co Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Elisha Kirkall amp oldid 1094093586, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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