Biographical Dictionary of British and Irish Engravers, 1714-1820

This is the first reference work to cover all engravers working on copper in Britain and Ireland 1714–1820. It includes 3,000 biographical entries that draw on unpublished information, such as apprenticeship, genealogy, insurance, and bankruptcy records, as well as newspaper advertisements and contemporary accounts. The book highlights the role of engravers in spreading information during the Enlightenment, particularly through their work on book illustrations for medical, technical, and literary works.

Format: Hardback
Length: 1120 pages
Publication date: 02 November 2021
Publisher: Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art

This biographical dictionary of engravers working on copper encompasses both those who produced fine art prints,and also those who engraved book illustrations for medical,technical and literary works,all of which played a more important part than is usually realised in spreading information in the age of Enlightenment. Some 3,000 biographical entries draw on much unpublished information,researched over four decades,notably records of apprenticeship,genealogy,insurance and bankruptcy as well as newspaper advertisements and contemporary accounts.

This is the first reference work to cover all engravers working on copper in Britain and Ireland 1714–1820. Many biographical entries describe celebrated engravers producing “fine art” prints of paintings,which spread knowledge about living and dead artists. However,this book also builds up a more complex picture of the occupation of printmaking and includes engravers,many previously unresearched,who engraved ephemeral material,such as trade cards,bank notes,and satirical prints as well as the images that spread knowledge across literary,geographical,historical,topographical,medical and technical fields.

Distributed for the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art

Weight: 1568g
Dimension: 168 x 243 x 66 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781913107215