Venus on her way to Cyprus
Gerard de Lairesse Dutch
After Nicolaes Visscher II Dutch
Not on view
Mezzotint, a tonal method of printmaking, was invented in Germany in 1642 and introduced to Britain by Dutch engravers. Beckett was first great native-born Englishman to practice the technique, producing just over than a hundred prints between 1681 and his early death in 1688. Most of these are portraits, many after leading painters such as Sir Peter Lely and Sir Godfrey Kneller. This example represents Henrietta Maria Yarborough, wearing a low-necked dress, holding a small greyhound, and seated in a landscape.
