John Smith (c. 1652 – c. 1742) was an English mezzotint engraver and print seller. Closely associated with the portrait painter Godfrey Kneller, Smith was one of leading exponents of the mezzotint medium during the late 17th and early 18th centuries, and was regarded among first English-born artists to receive international recognition, along the younger painter William Hogarth.
Smith was born at Daventry, Northamptonshire, about 1652. He was articled to a painter named Tillet in London, and studied mezzotint engraving under Isaac Beckett and Jan van der Vaart. Smith became the favourite engraver of Sir Godfrey Kneller, whose paintings he extensively reproduced, and in whose house he is said to have lived for some time.
At the end of his career, Smith retired to Northamptonshire, where he died on 17 January 1742 at age 90. He was buried in the churchyard of St Peter's, Northampton church, where there was a tablet to his memory and that of his wife Sarah, who died in 1717.
Most of Smith's early plates had been published by the renowned print seller Edward Cooper. In 1700, Smith became a printseller at the Lyon and Crown in Covent Garden and started publishing his own works. Smith also reissued many plates by Beckett, Bernard Lens, Williams, and others, retouching them and erasing the original engravers' names. Smith's latest print appears to have been the portrait of the young Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, after Joseph Highmore, dated 1729.
The bulk of Smith's copperplates eventually came into the hands of publisher John Boydell, who reprinted them in large numbers.
In 1696, Kneller painted a portrait of Smith holding a Kneller engraving and gave it to him. In 1716, Smith created a print from that portrait. Samuel Freeman later engraved that image for Horace Walpole's Anecdotes. Kneller's portrait of Smith is part of the collection of the Tate Gallery, London.[1]
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Clayton, Timothy (1997). The English Print, 1688–1802. London, New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN0-300-06650-3.
Davenport, Cyril (1904). Mezzotints. London: Methuen and Co. OCLC 1049687052 – via the Internet Archive.
Godfrey, Richard T. (1978). Printmaking in Britain: A General History from Its Beginnings to the Present Day. New York: New York University Press. pp. 29–30. ISBN0-8147-2973-8. OCLC 1151065422 – via the Internet Archive.
Griffiths, Antony (September 1989). "Early Mezzotint Publishing in England. I: John Smith". Print Quarterly. 6 (3): 243–257. JSTOR 41824523.
Griffiths, Anthony (1996). Prints and Printmaking: an Introduction to the History and Techniques. Berkeley, Los Angeles: University of California Press. p. 85. ISBN0-520-20714-9. OCLC 1036831840 – via the Internet Archive.
Hind, Arthur M. (1963). A History of Engraving & Etching from the 15th Century to the Year 1914 (3rd, fully rev. ed.). New York: Dover. OCLC 1035610203 – via the Internet Archive.
Jeffree, Richard (1996). "Smith, John (i)". In Turner, Jane (ed.). The Dictionary of Art. Vol. 28. New York: Grove's Dictionaries. pp. 881–882. ISBN1-884446-00-0. OCLC 1033666104 – via the Internet Archive.
Redgrave, Samuel (1878). A Dictionary of Artists of the English School (2nd ed.). London: George Bell. p. 403. OCLC 1043009709 – via the Internet Archive.
Salaman, Malcolm C. (1906). The Old Engravers of England in Their Relation to Contemporary Life and Art (1540-1800). London et al.: Cassell and Co. OCLC 1049965266 – via the Internet Archive.
Salaman, Malcolm C. (1910). Holme, Charles (ed.). Old English Mezzotints. London et al.: The Studio. OCLC 1049974212 – via the Internet Archive.
Smith, John Chaloner (1878–1884). British Mezzotinto Portraits. London: H. Sotheran. pt. 3, pp. 1131–1241. OCLC 679810041 – via the Internet Archive.
Vertue, George (1765). Walpole, Horace (ed.). A Catalogue of Engravers. Strawberry Hill: Thomas Kirgate. pp. 116–118. OCLC 1039533429 – via the Internet Archive.
Vertue, George (1934). "The Note-Books of George Vertue Relating to Artists and Collections in England (III)". The Walpole Society. 22. whole issue. JSTOR i40086509.
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For Antiquity Smith 1766 1833 see John Thomas Smith engraver John Smith c 1652 c 1742 was an English mezzotint engraver and print seller Closely associated with the portrait painter Godfrey Kneller Smith was one of leading exponents of the mezzotint medium during the late 17th and early 18th centuries and was regarded among first English born artists to receive international recognition along the younger painter William Hogarth Godfrey Kneller John Smith 1696 Tate Britain London Contents 1 Life 2 Works 3 Notes 4 Further readingLife editSmith was born at Daventry Northamptonshire about 1652 He was articled to a painter named Tillet in London and studied mezzotint engraving under Isaac Beckett and Jan van der Vaart Smith became the favourite engraver of Sir Godfrey Kneller whose paintings he extensively reproduced and in whose house he is said to have lived for some time At the end of his career Smith retired to Northamptonshire where he died on 17 January 1742 at age 90 He was buried in the churchyard of St Peter s Northampton church where there was a tablet to his memory and that of his wife Sarah who died in 1717 Works editSmith created approximately 500 plates nearly 300 of these plates were portraits of notable men and women of the period between the reigns of Charles II and George II Smith used pictures from artists such as Peter Lely Godfrey Kneller Willem Wissing Michael Dahl John Riley John Closterman Edward Gibson and Thomas Murray The rest of Smith s plates have sacred mythological and genre subjects after Titian Correggio Parmigianino Carlo Maratti Godfried Schalcken Egbert van Heemskerck Marcellus Laroon and others Most of Smith s early plates had been published by the renowned print seller Edward Cooper In 1700 Smith became a printseller at the Lyon and Crown in Covent Garden and started publishing his own works Smith also reissued many plates by Beckett Bernard Lens Williams and others retouching them and erasing the original engravers names Smith s latest print appears to have been the portrait of the young Prince William Duke of Cumberland after Joseph Highmore dated 1729 nbsp Loves of the Gods after TitianThe bulk of Smith s copperplates eventually came into the hands of publisher John Boydell who reprinted them in large numbers In 1696 Kneller painted a portrait of Smith holding a Kneller engraving and gave it to him In 1716 Smith created a print from that portrait Samuel Freeman later engraved that image for Horace Walpole s Anecdotes Kneller s portrait of Smith is part of the collection of the Tate Gallery London 1 Notes edit See picture at the Tate Further reading editBenezit Emmanuel 2006 first published in French in 1911 1923 Benezit Dictionary of Artists Vol 12 Paris Grund pp 1372 ISBN 2 7000 3082 6 via the Internet Archive Bryan Michael 1903 1905 Bryan s Dictionary of Painters and Engravers Vol 5 New York Macmillan pp 93 94 OCLC 1041637252 via the Internet Archive Clayton Timothy 1997 The English Print 1688 1802 London New Haven Yale University Press ISBN 0 300 06650 3 Davenport Cyril 1904 Mezzotints London Methuen and Co OCLC 1049687052 via the Internet Archive Godfrey Richard T 1978 Printmaking in Britain A General History from Its Beginnings to the Present Day New York New York University Press pp 29 30 ISBN 0 8147 2973 8 OCLC 1151065422 via the Internet Archive Griffiths Antony September 1989 Early Mezzotint Publishing in England I John Smith Print Quarterly 6 3 243 257 JSTOR 41824523 Griffiths Anthony 1996 Prints and Printmaking an Introduction to the History and Techniques Berkeley Los Angeles University of California Press p 85 ISBN 0 520 20714 9 OCLC 1036831840 via the Internet Archive Griffiths Antony 2004 Smith John In Matthew H C G amp Harrison Brian eds Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Vol 51 Oxford New York Oxford University Press pp 202 203 ISBN 0 19 861401 2 OCLC 1035757378 via the Internet Archive Hind Arthur M 1963 A History of Engraving amp Etching from the 15th Century to the Year 1914 3rd fully rev ed New York Dover OCLC 1035610203 via the Internet Archive Jeffree Richard 1996 Smith John i In Turner Jane ed The Dictionary of Art Vol 28 New York Grove s Dictionaries pp 881 882 ISBN 1 884446 00 0 OCLC 1033666104 via the Internet Archive O Donoghue Freeman Marius 1898 Smith John 1652 1742 In Lee Sidney ed Dictionary of National Biography Vol 53 London Smith Elder amp Co p 78 Redgrave Samuel 1878 A Dictionary of Artists of the English School 2nd ed London George Bell p 403 OCLC 1043009709 via the Internet Archive Salaman Malcolm C 1906 The Old Engravers of England in Their Relation to Contemporary Life and Art 1540 1800 London et al Cassell and Co OCLC 1049965266 via the Internet Archive Salaman Malcolm C 1910 Holme Charles ed Old English Mezzotints London et al The Studio OCLC 1049974212 via the Internet Archive Smith John Chaloner 1878 1884 British Mezzotinto Portraits London H Sotheran pt 3 pp 1131 1241 OCLC 679810041 via the Internet Archive Vertue George 1765 Walpole Horace ed A Catalogue of Engravers Strawberry Hill Thomas Kirgate pp 116 118 OCLC 1039533429 via the Internet Archive Vertue George 1934 The Note Books of George Vertue Relating to Artists and Collections in England III The Walpole Society 22 whole issue JSTOR i40086509 Vollmer Hans ed 1937 Smith John Allgemeines Lexikon der bildenden Kunstler in German Vol 31 Leipzig E A Seemann p 172 Walpole Horace 1849 Anecdotes of Painting in England Vol 3 London H G Bohn pp 961 963 via the Internet Archive nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to John Smith engraver Attribution nbsp This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain Smith John 1652 1742 Dictionary of National Biography London Smith Elder amp Co 1885 1900 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title John Smith engraver amp oldid 1169881243, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
