Margate. Outer View of the Pier, Coast of Kent, &c from Fort Cliffs

Location

Country: UK
City: London
Place: Government Art Collection

Printmaker and publisher John Raphael Smith is best known for his mezzotints. He was born in Derby and apprenticed to a linen draper. He began his artistic career painting miniatures and engraved his first mezzotint in 1769. In 1784 he became Mezzotint Engraver to the Prince of Wales. Smith produced thousands of prints during his career, which he distributed throughout the UK and to St Petersburg, Milan and Paris. However, after the French Revolution caused a decline in exports, he opened the Morland Gallery in King Street, Covent Garden, initially producing 36 prints after works by George Morland. Smith spent his final years travelling throughout Yorkshire, in response to commissions for pastel portraits. He died in Doncaster, aged c.61.
Thomas Sutherland was a prominent aquatint engraver who specialised in sporting, coaching, naval and military subjects, as well as topographical views. His engravings were generally made after the designs of contemporary artists. His best known works are some of the 105 illustrations to Rudolf Ackermann’s ‘The Microcosm of London’ (completed in three volumes in 1810). Sutherland also produced a series of prints based on the Peninsular Battles of 1808 to 1814. He lived and worked in London.

Places

England, Margate, Kent, North Sea

Subjects

topography, seascape/coastal scene, townscape/cityscape, Victorian Genre, telescope, cliff, man, woman, path, pier, house, sailboat, ship

Materials & Techniques

aquatint, colour aquatint

Artist

John Raphael Smith (1752 - 1812)
Thomas Sutherland (1785 - 1838)

Title

Margate. Outer View of the Pier, Coast of Kent, &c from Fort Cliffs

Date

1805

Medium

Colour aquatint

Acquisition

Purchased from Frank T Sabin, February 1958

GAC number

4541