Lord Mayor in 1791, he founded a firm that is still in existence, and carried on under the title of Messrs. Henry Graves & Co. He employed on his sumptuous publications over two hundred and sixty engravers. In his well-known "Shakespeare Gallery" he spent £100,000 on painters and engravers.
Besides the leading English engravers, he attracted many men from the Continent. Baron, Canot, Aliamet, Benoist, Picot, and many others came from abroad. Johann Sebastian Müller—sometimes his name is printed Miller—came from Nuremburg in 1744. He did some fine plates for Boydell, including Joseph's Dream after Murillo, A Moonlight Scene, after Vanderneer and Donna Isabella after Rubens, and many others. We reproduce an illustration of a fine engraving from a series of Views in Florence, done at Nuremburg just prior to his coming to England. (Facing p. 178.)
Francesco Bartolozzi (1727-1815) is better known for his stipple work, which is treated in a later chapter. He leaned always to prettiness and insipidity, and is just the opposite to the broad school of Strange. His line engraving, La Madonna del Sacco—the Holy Family—after Andrea del Sarto, and the Repulse of Cupid after Annibale Carraci, are his best works in line.
William Woollett (1735-1785) executed some magnificent engravings after Claude Lorraine. The Enchanted Castle (done in conjunction with Vivares) sells in proof state for £2. Landscape with Sacrifice to Apollo is worth twice that sum.
