. Engraving and etching : a handbook for the use of students and print collectors . native-born artists of considerabledistinction, such as William Sherwin (1669—i/H)* FrancisPlace (1647—1728), Isaac Beckett (1653—1715 ?), RobertWilliams (worked 1700—1715) and John Smith (1654—1742). In their hands the art of mezzotint reached itsfull perfection, one special step in advance being the more. Fig. 117. James MacArdell : Portrait (detail).255 256 ENGRAVING IN ENGLAND careful rocking of the plate with a finer and more delicateburr. As a result of this it became possible to producemuch richer tone e
. Engraving and etching : a handbook for the use of students and print collectors . native-born artists of considerabledistinction, such as William Sherwin (1669—i/H)* FrancisPlace (1647—1728), Isaac Beckett (1653—1715 ?), RobertWilliams (worked 1700—1715) and John Smith (1654—1742). In their hands the art of mezzotint reached itsfull perfection, one special step in advance being the more. Fig. 117. James MacArdell : Portrait (detail).255 256 ENGRAVING IN ENGLAND careful rocking of the plate with a finer and more delicateburr. As a result of this it became possible to producemuch richer tone effects, details could be more sharply-accented, and mezzotint work lost the hard coarseness thathad clung to the plates of the Dutch artists, with theexception perhaps of Dusart. This great advance wasdue to Beckett, and particularly to John Smith. Smithwas the favoured scraper of Knellers portraits,and left several hundred prints. Equally successful washis follower, John Eaber the younger (1684—1756). Bothof them, however, were surpassed by James MacArdell,who was born at Dublin in 1729, worked in London,and died there in 1765. In refinement of drawing andsensitiveness of tone his plates rank as perhaps the veryfinest work of the English mezzotint school. MacArdellwas recognised by Sir Joshua Reynolds as his idealinterpreter, yet he was equally skilful in doing justice
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