Location

Country: UK
City: London
Place: Government Art Collection

Valentine Green, engraver of portraits and historical subjects after works by his contemporaries, was born at Salford, Worcestershire. He was intended for a career at the Bar, but without his father’s consent, became apprenticed to an obscure line engraver in Worcester. When he came to London in 1765 he began working in mezzotint and engraved nearly 400 plates over the next 40 years. In 1775 he was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy and was appointed Mezzotint Engraver to George III. In 1789 he obtained the exclusive privilege of engraving the pictures of the Dusseldorf, but was ruined when the city was besieged in 1798. In 1805 he was made Keeper of the newly founded British Institution, a post he retained until his death.
Sir Anthony van Dyck was born in Antwerp. Early in his career he was an assistant to Peter Paul Rubens. He first visited England between November 1620 and February 1621, where his work impressed King James I. He then travelled to Italy, staying until the autumn of 1627, before returning to Antwerp. During his time in Italy, van Dyck developed as a portrait painter, painting mostly wealthy merchant-princes. His style evolved under the influence of works by Titian and Veronese. In 1632 he returned to England, where he became 'Principal Painter in Ordinary' to Charles I. The following year he was knighted. His portraits of the royal family enhanced their prestige at home and abroad and his work had a profound influence on British portraiture.

People

Wharton, Sir Thomas

Places

Subjects

male portrait, 18th century costume, doublet, armour, boots, sash, walking stick, glove, feather (fashion accessory), hat, sword

Materials & Techniques

mezzotint

Artist

Valentine Green (1739 - 1813)
Sir Anthony van Dyck (1599 - 1641)

Title

Sir Thomas Wharton (1615-1684) politician

Date

25 March 1775

Medium

Mezzotint

Dimensions

height: 57.00 cm, width: 40.00 cm

Acquisition

Transferred from the Ministry of Defence, April 2017

Provenance

Ministry of Defence Collection (found in MoD building 1991); transferred to GAC 2017

GAC number

17021