Engraver James Walker (circa 1760 – not earlier than 1823): Great Britain and Russia
Keywords:
Engraving as a method of reproducing images, mezzotinto, English engraving of the 18th century, Russian-English artistic links at the turn of the 18th–19th centuriesAbstract
The article off ers new facts about an eminent British engraver James Walker (circa 1760 – not earlier than 1823). The renowned British master came to Saint-Petersburg at the invitation of Catherine II and spent nearly 20 years in Russia (1784–1802). Basing on a newspaper “Sankt-Perburgskie Vedomosti” the author traces the ways he used to sell his prints in Saint-Petersburg. The materials of the newspaper also shed light on Walker’s collection of paintings and prints. The author attempts to explain the reasons of downturn in his creative activity as an engraver aft er his coming back to Britain and the desire to try his hand at writing. The article provides new information about joint works of Walker and his stepson J.A. Atkinson (1774 or 1776–1830), including their chef-d’oeuvre — “The Picturesque Representation of the Manners, Customs and Amusements of the Russian People” (1803, 1812).
References
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