George Vertue was born in the parish of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London. His parents served in the court of James II and his father may have later become a tailor. He was first apprenticed to a silver engraver and later to Flemish engraver Michael Vandergucht. His early work includes plates after Kneller, whose academy he attended from 1711. Vertue served as official engraver to the Society of Antiquaries (1717-56). In the 1720s he concentrated on portrait frontispieces, producing over 120 in total. From 1727 he was engraver to Oxford University. Vertue was also a publisher and ran a print shop near Drury Lane. In 1712 he began gathering information for a publication on the history of art in Britain, which remained unfinished at his death.

People

Anne

Places

England, London

Subjects

carriage, female portrait, royal portrait, townscape/cityscape, horse, crowd, 18th century costume, child, medal, Queen, parade, street, house

Materials & Techniques

engraving, coloured engraving

Artist

George Vertue (1684 - 1756)

Title

Charity Children in the Strand on 7 July 1713

Date

1715

Medium

Coloured engraving from two plates

Acquisition

Purchased from Parker Gallery, December 1963

GAC number

6352