Michael Vandergucht
Encyclopedia
Michael Vandergucht (1660–16 October 1725) 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 moved to England before July 1688, where he engraved portraits, book illustrations, and architectural prints. He trained his sons Gerard Vandergucht
(1696/7–1776) and Jan Vandergucht (or John) (c.1699-c.1730) as engravers, and also George Vertue
. He died at his house in his house, the Golden Head in Queen Street, Bloomsbury, and was buried in the churchyard of St Giles-in-the-Fields.
Michael kept to a restrained form of engraving, without etching
, but was surpassed by his son Gerard, who became one of the leading engravers in London, following the French method of combining precise engraving with the etched tones. Gerard had over 30 children, including Benjamin Vandergucht, a painter and art dealer.
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
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...
who worked for most of his career in England.
Vandergucht was born in Antwerp, where he became a pupil of Philibert Bouttats
Philibert Bouttats
Philibert Bouttats, a Flemish engraver, the son of Frederik Bouttats, was born at Antwerp about the year 1650, and died at the age of 72. His prints consist chiefly of portraits, and are rather neatly engraved...
. He joined the Antwerp artists' guild, the Guild of St Luke, in 1673. He moved to England before July 1688, where he engraved portraits, book illustrations, and architectural prints. He trained his sons Gerard Vandergucht
Gerard Vandergucht
Gerard Vandergucht 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...
(1696/7–1776) and Jan Vandergucht (or John) (c.1699-c.1730) as engravers, and also George Vertue
George Vertue
George Vertue was an English engraver and antiquary, whose notebooks on British art of the first half of the 18th century are a valuable source for the period.-Life:...
. He died at his house in his house, the Golden Head in Queen Street, Bloomsbury, and was buried in the churchyard of St Giles-in-the-Fields.
Michael kept to a restrained form of engraving, without etching
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...
, but was surpassed by his son Gerard, who became one of the leading engravers in London, following the French method of combining precise engraving with the etched tones. Gerard had over 30 children, including Benjamin Vandergucht, a painter and art dealer.