A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Laguerre, Jean
LAGUERRE, Jean, commonly called Jack, was the son of Louis Laguerre, the artist who painted the greater part of Verrio's large picture in St. Bartholomew s Hospital, the 'Labours of Hercules' in chiar'oscuro at Hampton Court, the staircase at Wilton, etc., and is immortalized by Pope in the line
'Where sprawl the saints of Verrio and Laguerre.'
This painter came to England in 1683, and died in 1721, his son Jean having, as it is supposed, been born about 1700. The lad was instructed by his father for his own profession, and had already shown some ability; but, having a talent for music, he took to the stage, where he met with fair success. It must be he whom we find, under the name of Mr. Legar, playing the part of Metius in Camilla (revived), 1726, which had formerly (1706 and 8) been sung by Ramondon, a low tenor. Again, he is advertized (Daily Journal, March 13, 1731) as sustaining the added role of Corydon in 'Acis and Galatea,' 'for the benefit of M. Rochetti, at Lincoln's Inn Theatre Royal, on Friday, 26th,' his name being spelled as in the cast of 'Camilla.' [App. p.694 "add that in 1737 he sang in Capt. Breval's 'Rape of Helen' the part of Mercury, and that his name was correctly spelt in the cast."] He died in London in 1748.
Laguerre has been described as 'a high fellow, a great humourist, wit, singer, player, caricaturist, mimic, and a good scene-painter; and, according to the notions of that merry age, known to everybody worth knowing.' He engraved a set of prints of 'Hob in the Well,' which had a great sale, though indifferently executed; but we also owe to his point an exceedingly clever etching, 'The Stage Mutiny' (Br. Mus. Cat. 1929), in which we have caricature-portraits of Colley and Theo. Gibber (as Pistol), Highmore, Mrs. Wilks, Ellis, Griffin, Johnson, and others. Hogarth did not disdain to copy this interesting print, having used it on the show-cloth in 'Southwark Fair' (Br. Mus. Cat. 1960).
As a painter, Laguerre was the author of the portrait of Mary Tofts, not the singer but the pretended rabbit-breeder, engraved by J. Faber in mezzotint. He also painted the portrait of Spiller for the Spiller's Head tavern, as we learn from that actor's epitaph, which begins thus:—
'The butchers' wives fall in hysteric fits;
For, sure as they're alive, poor Spiller's dead;
But, thanks to Jack Laguerre, we've got his head.'