Alexander Denton (1679-1740) judge

Location

Country: UK
City: London
Place: Royal Courts of Justice, The Strand

Jonathan Richardson senior was a portrait painter and a writer on art and literary topics. Born in London, Richardson was a pupil of John Riley, whose heir he eventually became. He helped to found the first Academy in England (the precursor of the Royal Academy) in 1711 and he and Charles Jervas were the busiest native-born portrait painters in rivalry with Kneller (from Germany) and Michael Dahl (from Sweden). Richardson's writings - especially ‘The Theory of Painting’, 1715, and, in collaboration with his son, the account of works of art the grand tourist should see in Italy, 1722 - were immensely influential and inspired Reynolds to become a painter. Richardson retired from painting in 1740 and died in London in May 1745.
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

Alexander Denton (1679 - 1740)

Places

Subjects

male portrait, judge, Member of Parliament

Materials & Techniques

engraving

Artist

Jonathan, Snr Richardson (1665 - 1745)
George Vertue (1684 - 1756)

Title

Alexander Denton (1679-1740) judge

Date

Medium

Engraving

Acquisition

Purchased from F B Daniell, February 1971

GAC number

9075