Vertue

Vertue, GEORGE, engraver and antiquary, was born in London in 1684, and, after studying under two engravers, in 1709 commenced business for himself. He was generously befriended by Kneller the portrait-painter; and his success in engraving a portrait of Tillotson at once placed him in the very front rank of his profession. In 1711, on the institution of the Academy of Painting, he enrolled himself as a member; but his contributions were few and unimportant. In his own more special department he wrought through life assiduously, confining himself for the most part to reproductions of portraits. Himself, from an early period, devoted to anti- quarian research, which he prosecuted in journeys throughout England, he was appointed in 1717 engraver to the Society of Antiquaries. He died on 24th July 1756, and was buried in the cloisters of Westminster Abbey. In addition to his eminence in his art, he was a man of considerable general accomplishment; an adept in drawing and music, and with a competent knowledge of French, Dutch, and Italian. At his death his manuscripts were bought by Horace Walpole, who made free use of them in his Anecdotes of Painting in England.