Her Royal Highness Princess Ann of Denmark A pair of mezzotint engravings by John Smith after the portraits by Kneller, published in London in 1695. A three-quarter-length portrait of Ann, Princess of Denmark, who later became Queen Anne. The Princess is seated slightly to the left, facing and looking towards the front with her hair in high curls, cascading onto her shoulder. She wears a loose dress and ermine robe fastened at the shoulders. Her right elbow rests on a table upon which there is a coronet. There are ornamental cupids in the background. The companion print depicts her husband George, Prince of Denmark. This, again, is a three-quarter-length portrait with the Prince standing and directed towards the right. He wears a long wig, lace cravat and ruffles. His armour is decorated with an edging of lions' heads and there is the head of a lion on the hilt of his sword. John Smith was born in the early 1650's and is said to have died in 1742. He was taught the art of mezzotint by Isaac Beckett and for much of the seventeenth century his prints appear to have been printed by E. Cooper. By the early 1700's, however, he had set himself up as a publisher of both his own work and that of others. He is particularly well remembered for his engravings after the paintings of Sir Godfrey Kneller. During his career Smith was very highly regarded by his contemporaries and Walpole considered him to be one of the most proficient mezzotint engravers of his generation. Through his efforts he managed a very comfortable living and appears to have generated sufficient income to secure an independent and lengthy old age. |
