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have been smartly criticised by Pope and others, whose ridicule is not unwarranted by many absurdities ; but injustice has no less been done to the painter and his merits, and the great fitness of his art as a deco- rator overlooked. His great facility, the easy pose of his figures, the fresh and de- corative look of his surface, are qualities which might well make him popular in his own day, and demand recognition in ours. VERTUE, Robert, statuary. Was em-
?loyed as master mason in the erection of lenry VI I. 's Chapel, at Westminster. VERTUE, George, F.S.A., engraver. Was born of respectable parents in the parish of St. Martin, London, 1684. At thirteen he was apprenticed to an engraver of arms on plate ; but after between three and four years, his master failing, he re- turned to nis friends, and devoted himself to study drawing. He then entered into an engagement with Michael Vandergucht for three years, which he prolonged to seven ; and afterwards in 1709 began to work for himself, studying closely not only to im- prove in his art, but also to acquire the French, Italian, and Dutch languages, and to cultivate a love of music. lie was one of the first members of the Academy (called Kneller's Academy) founded in 1711, in Great Queen Street, Lincoln's Inn Fields, for the study of the human figure, and drew there for several years. His works were beginning to attract attention, when, on a commission from Lord Somers, he engraved a fine plate of Archbishop Tillotson, which at once gave him a reputation, and on the accession of George I., he engraved a por- trait of him, which had a very considerable sale and was followed by the portraits of the Prince and Princess.
As early as 1713 he commenced his researches into the lives of our artists, and his collection of whatever might assist in his contemplated history of the arts in England. He also practised in water- colours, copying antiquities and relics, and sometimes attempting portraits ; and ac- quiring a love of antiquarian research, he became a member of the Society of Anti- quaries, and was in 1717 appointed En- graver to the Society. He was full of employment He visited the principal
falferies and the old mansions of the no- ility, as well as the Universities, in search of English portraits, and, taking great care for their proper identification, he engraved a great number of them. He also made sketches and notes of statues, busts, tombs, and art memorials of every kind. He en- graved the Oxford Almanacs from 1723 till his death. In 1730 he completed his twelve heads of the poets, followed by a series of heads of Charles I. and the loyal sufferers in his cause, and the illustrations to Rapin's ' History of England.' Altogether 450
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he is said to have engraved above 500 portraits alone. Some of his works show much merit ; but truth and correctness were
E referred by him to art, and his manner is iboured and dry.
His literary works are held in much esteem. His reputation stands higher as an antiquarian than as an artist. He pub- lished ' On Holbein and Gerrard's Pictures,' 1740 ; * Medals, Coins. Great Seals. Im- pressions from the Elaborate Works of Thomas Simon,' 1753: * Catalogue and Description of King Charles the First's Capital Collection of Pictures, Limnings, Statues, &c.,' 1757 ; 4 Catalogue of the Collection of Pictures belonging to King James II., to which is added a Catalogue of the Pictures and Drawings in the Closet of Queen Caroline ; ' ' Catalogue of the Curious Collection of Pictures of George Villars. Duke of Buckingham ;' 'Descrip- tion of the Works of that Ingenious De- lineator and Engraver, W. Hollar,' 1745, second edition 1759. He died July 24,
1756, as he had lived, a strict Roman Catholic, and was buried in the Cloisters of Westminster Abbey, where there is a tablet to his memory. His prints, drawings, and books, were sold by auction in March,
1757. His pictures, models, limnings, casts, coins, and medals, in the May follow- ing. After his death his large collection of notes and memoranda were purchased by Horace Walpole, and formed the material for his ' Anecdotes of Painting in England.'
VERTUE, Jambs, portrait painter. Was the brother of the foregoing. He practised as a portrait painter and drafts- man at Bath, and died there about 1765. His drawings were sold by auction in Lon- don in 1766. His brother George engraved, after a drawing by him, ' The Interior of the Abbey Church at Bath.'
VICKERS. Alfred, landscape painter. Was born at St. Mary Newington, Septem- ber 10, 1786. He was early devoted to art, and was self-taught. He painted small pictures from English scenery with great facility, which were truthful and pleasing, but did not reach to higher excellence. He was a frequent exhibitor at the Royal Aca- demy from 1813-59, and the other exhi- bitions. He died in 1868, aged 82.
VICKERS, Alfred Gomersal, subject and marine painter. Son of the above. Was born in Lambeth, April 21, 1810. He commenced art with little instruction, except such as he may have received from his father. He painted both in oil and in water-colours, and was a constant exhi- bitor at the British Institution, and from 1827, till his death, at the Royal Academy, and at Suffolk Street In 1833 he was employed to visit Russia to make sketches for publication, and made some excel- lent drawings, which were published in the
