Gerard Vandergucht
Encyclopedia
Gerard Vandergucht (1696/7–18 March 1776) was an English engraver
and art dealer
.
Vandergucht born in London
, the elder son of the Flemish
engraver Michael Vandergucht
. He was taught engraving by his father, as was his younger brother Jan Vandergucht (or John) (c.1699-c.1730). Gerard was also taught drawing by Louis Chéron
, and studied at Godfrey Kneller
's Great Queen Street Academy. He surpassed the restrained style of engraving favoured by his father, and became one of the leading engravers in London by adopting the French method of combining precise engraving with etched
tones.
In 1719, he was commissioned by James Thornhill
to engrave four designs for the cupola
of St Paul's Cathedral
. He took over his father's house - the Golden Head in Queen Street, Bloomsbury - following his father's death in 1725. He married Mary Liney on 24 August 1725. They had over 30 children, including the painter and picture dealer Benjamin Vandergucht.
He became a leading publisher of engraved prints and book illustrations, and taught Robert White and Francis Patton.
In 1735 he took a leading role in the artists' demands for copyright
protection which led to an extension of the provisions established by William Hogarth
in the Engraving Copyright Act 1734
. The 1734 act only protected original designs. Vandergucht and his supporters successfully lobbied to extend copyright protection to cover all prints.
He concentrated on art dealing in the last 16 years of his life, selling prints, drawings, paintings and statues. He was a member of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce. He moved to Vandyke's Head, Great Brook Street, in 1758, where he died in 1776.
Engraving
Engraving is the practice of incising a design on to a hard, usually flat surface, by cutting grooves into it. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an intaglio printing plate, of copper or another metal, for printing...
and art dealer
Art dealer
An art dealer is a person or company that buys and sells works of art. Art dealers' professional associations serve to set high standards for accreditation or membership and to support art exhibitions and shows.-Role:...
.
Vandergucht born in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the elder son of the Flemish
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
engraver Michael Vandergucht
Michael Vandergucht
Michael Vandergucht was a Flemish engraver who worked for most of his career in England.Vandergucht was born in Antwerp, where he became a pupil of Philibert Bouttats. He joined the Antwerp artists' guild, the Guild of St Luke, in 1673...
. He was taught engraving by his father, as was his younger brother Jan Vandergucht (or John) (c.1699-c.1730). Gerard was also taught drawing by Louis Chéron
Louis Chéron
Louis Chéron was a French painter, illustrator and art tutor.-Life:Born into a French Protestant family of artists . He trained under his father then at the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture...
, and studied at Godfrey Kneller
Godfrey Kneller
Sir Godfrey Kneller, 1st Baronet was the leading portrait painter in England during the late 17th and early 18th centuries, and was court painter to British monarchs from Charles II to George I...
's Great Queen Street Academy. He surpassed the restrained style of engraving favoured by his father, and became one of the leading engravers in London by adopting the French method of combining precise engraving with etched
Etching
Etching is the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio in the metal...
tones.
In 1719, he was commissioned by James Thornhill
James Thornhill
Sir James Thornhill was an English painter of historical subjects, in the Italian baroque tradition.-Life:...
to engrave four designs for the cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
of St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
. He took over his father's house - the Golden Head in Queen Street, Bloomsbury - following his father's death in 1725. He married Mary Liney on 24 August 1725. They had over 30 children, including the painter and picture dealer Benjamin Vandergucht.
He became a leading publisher of engraved prints and book illustrations, and taught Robert White and Francis Patton.
In 1735 he took a leading role in the artists' demands for copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
protection which led to an extension of the provisions established by William Hogarth
William Hogarth
William Hogarth was an English painter, printmaker, pictorial satirist, social critic and editorial cartoonist who has been credited with pioneering western sequential art. His work ranged from realistic portraiture to comic strip-like series of pictures called "modern moral subjects"...
in the Engraving Copyright Act 1734
Engraving Copyright Act 1734
The Engraving Copyright Act 1734 was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain passed in 1734 to give protections to producers of engravings. It is sometimes called Hogarth's Act after William Hogarth, whose work prompted the law...
. The 1734 act only protected original designs. Vandergucht and his supporters successfully lobbied to extend copyright protection to cover all prints.
He concentrated on art dealing in the last 16 years of his life, selling prints, drawings, paintings and statues. He was a member of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce. He moved to Vandyke's Head, Great Brook Street, in 1758, where he died in 1776.