DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.73058#0029
Bartolozzi: Sketch of his Life.
1771. Venus embracing Cupid—crayon.
Head of Madonna—drawing.
1773. Portrait of a Lady, in chalks.
1774. Noli ine tangere—drawing from a picture by Mengs.
(During his residence at 1, Bentinck Street, Berwiclc Street, Soho.)
1776. Charity—drawing in colours.
1778. Zephyrus and Flora—drawing in crayons.
1780. Origin of Painting—a fan.
(During his residence at North End, Fulham.)
1792. Death of Chatham—a proof.
1793. Portrait.
1794. Portrait of a Lady.
„ Ditto.
1797. Rigaud's "Samson" (an aquafortis, or etched, proof).
1798. A Drawing.
1799.
He also exhibited proofs of his " Death of Dido," and "Charity," after Vandyke, at
the Free Society in 1783.
Bartolozzi earned money easily, and in his intervals of leisure led a tolerably gay life.
His studio was the resort of fashionable idlers and art-patrons. A sidelight is thrown
upon his popularity at this time by a letter from one of his numerous pupils, J. Minasi,
to his uncle, the Padre Minasi, in which is the following somewhat egotistical passage :
" I managed to get instruction from the celebrated Bartolozzi, who from his natural kind-
ness esteems me very much—so much that I am the wonder not only of noblemen who go
to Bartolozzi's studio, but also of other artists, there being nobody who can imitate so well
the God of Drawing—the famous Bartolozzi—who has presented me at Court and the
Royal Academy, and has obtained for me the honours and privileges of free admission
for life, and other benefits."
But if Bartolozzi made money easily, he spent it with an equal ease. A day's pleasure,
for instance, with Cipriani is recorded to have cost him thirty guineas—a sum which,
though it is not large when we consider the expense of posting and of French wines in
those days, accentuates the engraver's impecuniosity on other occasions. His habit of
keeping his gold loose in one of his waistcoat pockets may be taken as typical of his
general carelessness in the matter of money. He could never save, and no matter what
the income earned, he was generally ahead of it in expenditure. He was thus tempted, at
times, to employ his skill on inferior book plates and in the perpetuation of the villainous
and puerile conceptions of amateurs, or the humorous fooleries of Bunbury* and other
* Bunbury was far from excellent in his drawing, and he is much indebted to Bartolozzi in his transcriptions to
copper for its improvement ; but that he could do good work is vouched for by Sir Joshua Reynolds, who declared that
he never saw a better drawing than Bunbury's "Barber's Shop."
caricaturists, the reproductions of whose works by the powerful burin of Bartolozzi-
11 however
1771. Venus embracing Cupid—crayon.
Head of Madonna—drawing.
1773. Portrait of a Lady, in chalks.
1774. Noli ine tangere—drawing from a picture by Mengs.
(During his residence at 1, Bentinck Street, Berwiclc Street, Soho.)
1776. Charity—drawing in colours.
1778. Zephyrus and Flora—drawing in crayons.
1780. Origin of Painting—a fan.
(During his residence at North End, Fulham.)
1792. Death of Chatham—a proof.
1793. Portrait.
1794. Portrait of a Lady.
„ Ditto.
1797. Rigaud's "Samson" (an aquafortis, or etched, proof).
1798. A Drawing.
1799.
He also exhibited proofs of his " Death of Dido," and "Charity," after Vandyke, at
the Free Society in 1783.
Bartolozzi earned money easily, and in his intervals of leisure led a tolerably gay life.
His studio was the resort of fashionable idlers and art-patrons. A sidelight is thrown
upon his popularity at this time by a letter from one of his numerous pupils, J. Minasi,
to his uncle, the Padre Minasi, in which is the following somewhat egotistical passage :
" I managed to get instruction from the celebrated Bartolozzi, who from his natural kind-
ness esteems me very much—so much that I am the wonder not only of noblemen who go
to Bartolozzi's studio, but also of other artists, there being nobody who can imitate so well
the God of Drawing—the famous Bartolozzi—who has presented me at Court and the
Royal Academy, and has obtained for me the honours and privileges of free admission
for life, and other benefits."
But if Bartolozzi made money easily, he spent it with an equal ease. A day's pleasure,
for instance, with Cipriani is recorded to have cost him thirty guineas—a sum which,
though it is not large when we consider the expense of posting and of French wines in
those days, accentuates the engraver's impecuniosity on other occasions. His habit of
keeping his gold loose in one of his waistcoat pockets may be taken as typical of his
general carelessness in the matter of money. He could never save, and no matter what
the income earned, he was generally ahead of it in expenditure. He was thus tempted, at
times, to employ his skill on inferior book plates and in the perpetuation of the villainous
and puerile conceptions of amateurs, or the humorous fooleries of Bunbury* and other
* Bunbury was far from excellent in his drawing, and he is much indebted to Bartolozzi in his transcriptions to
copper for its improvement ; but that he could do good work is vouched for by Sir Joshua Reynolds, who declared that
he never saw a better drawing than Bunbury's "Barber's Shop."
caricaturists, the reproductions of whose works by the powerful burin of Bartolozzi-
11 however