John Young (1755-1825) stands as a significant, if sometimes overlooked, figure in the British art world of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. While not primarily a painter in the conventional sense of creating original compositions on canvas, Young's profound impact was felt through his exceptional skill as a mezzotint engraver and his influential role as the Keeper of the British Institution. His meticulous work in cataloguing and reproducing artworks from prominent private collections provided unprecedented access to these treasures, shaping public taste and contributing to the burgeoning field of art history in Britain.
Early Life and Artistic Formation
Born in 1755, John Young emerged during a vibrant period for British art. London was solidifying its status as a major European art center, fostering a generation of remarkable painters and an increasing public appetite for art. While specific details of Young's early life and formal artistic training are not extensively documented, it is evident that he became a master of mezzotint engraving, a complex and subtle intaglio printmaking process.
Mezzotint, known for its ability to produce rich, velvety blacks and soft gradations of tone, was particularly favored for reproducing the nuances of oil paintings, especially portraits. Young's proficiency in this demanding medium would become the cornerstone of his career, allowing him to translate the works of celebrated painters into a format accessible to a wider audience. His contemporaries in the field of engraving included other skilled practitioners such as William Say (1768-1834), renowned for his mezzotints after artists like Sir Joshua Reynolds and Thomas Lawrence, and George Townley Stubbs (1756-1815), son of the famous animal painter George Stubbs, who also excelled in various engraving techniques.
The Keeper of the British Institution
A pivotal aspect of John Young's career was his appointment as Keeper of the British Institution for Promoting the Fine Arts in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1805 by a group of private connoisseurs and patrons, the British Institution played a crucial role in the cultural life of London. Its aims were multifaceted: to exhibit the works of both Old Masters and contemporary British artists, to provide a space for art students to study and copy great works, and generally to encourage public appreciation for the fine arts.
As Keeper, Young was responsible for the day-to-day management of the Institution's gallery, the care of the artworks exhibited, and facilitating its various programs. This position placed him at the heart of the London art scene, in regular contact with leading artists, collectors, and critics. His role would have involved overseeing important loan exhibitions, which often brought masterpieces from private aristocratic collections into the public view for the first time. These exhibitions were instrumental in educating public taste and providing inspiration for contemporary artists.
The British Institution's exhibitions often featured works by towering figures of British art such as Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792), Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788), and George Romney (1734-1802), as well as then-contemporary masters like J.M.W. Turner (1775-1851) and Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830). Young's position would have given him intimate access to these works, further honing his understanding of painting techniques and connoisseurship, which was invaluable for his engraving projects.
The Great Catalogues: Disseminating Art Through Engraving
John Young's most enduring legacy lies in the series of illustrated catalogues he produced, documenting some of the most important private art collections in Britain at the time. These were not mere lists but ambitious publications featuring outline engravings or mezzotints of the principal works in each collection, accompanied by descriptive text. Through these catalogues, Young effectively opened up these exclusive collections to a broader public, including artists, students, and aspiring connoisseurs who might otherwise never have seen such works.
A Catalogue of the Pictures at Grosvenor House, London
One of Young's significant projects was "A Catalogue of the Pictures at Grosvenor House, London; with Etchings from the Whole Collection ... Executed by John Young, Engraver in Mezzotinto to H.R.H. the Prince Regent, and Keeper of the British Institution" (1821). The collection of Robert Grosvenor, 1st Marquess of Westminster (1767-1845), was one of the finest in London, rich in Old Master paintings, particularly Dutch and Flemish works.
The Grosvenor collection included masterpieces by artists such as Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669), Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640), Anthony van Dyck (1599-1641), and Claude Lorrain (1600-1682). Young's engravings, though often in outline to make the project economically viable for a large number of plates, provided an invaluable record of these paintings, their compositions, and their attributions at the time. This catalogue served as an essential reference for art lovers and scholars.
A Catalogue of the Celebrated Collection of Pictures of the late John Julius Angerstein, Esq.
Perhaps the most historically significant collection Young catalogued was that of John Julius Angerstein (1735-1823). Angerstein, a wealthy Russian-born merchant and underwriter at Lloyd's of London, was a discerning collector. His relatively small but exceptionally high-quality collection was purchased by the British government after his death and formed the very nucleus of the National Gallery, London, when it was founded in 1824.
Young's "A Catalogue of the Celebrated Collection of Pictures of the late John Julius Angerstein, Esq. containing a finished etching of every picture, and accompanied with historical and biographical notices" (1823) documented treasures such as Claude Lorrain's "Seaport with the Embarkation of the Queen of Sheba" and "Landscape with the Marriage of Isaac and Rebecca," Sebastiano del Piombo's "The Raising of Lazarus," and works by Rubens, Rembrandt, and Van Dyck. Young's publication, appearing just before the collection's public acquisition, highlighted its national importance.
A Catalogue of Pictures by British Artists, in the Possession of Sir John Fleming Leicester, Bart.
Young also turned his attention to collections of contemporary British art. Sir John Fleming Leicester, later Lord de Tabley (1762-1827), was a passionate patron of living British artists. He assembled a remarkable collection at his London house in Hill Street, Berkeley Square, and even opened it to the public, creating one of the first dedicated galleries of British art.
"A Catalogue of Pictures by British Artists, in the Possession of Sir John Fleming Leicester, Bart. With Etchings from the Whole Collection. Executed by John Young" (1821) showcased works by artists like J.M.W. Turner, Thomas Lawrence, Benjamin West (1738-1820), Henry Fuseli (1741-1825), James Ward (1769-1859), and John Hoppner (1758-1810). This catalogue was particularly important for promoting the status of the British school and demonstrating its vitality. It provided visual records of works that were defining the national artistic identity.
A Catalogue of the Collection of Pictures of the Most Noble the Marquess of Stafford
The collection of George Granville Leveson-Gower, Marquess of Stafford, later 1st Duke of Sutherland (1758-1833), was legendary. Housed at Cleveland House (later rebuilt as Stafford House, now Lancaster House), it was one of the most extensive and magnificent private collections in Europe, particularly strong in Italian, French, and Dutch Old Masters.
Young's "Engravings of the Most Noble the Marquis of Stafford's Collection of Pictures in London, arranged according to Schools, and in Chronological Order, with Remarks on Each Picture. By John Young, Engraver in Mezzotinto to His Majesty, and Keeper of the British Institution" (published in parts, completed c. 1825) was a monumental undertaking. It featured works attributed to masters like Titian (c. 1488/1490-1576), Raphael (1483-1520), Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665), and many others. This publication was a vital tool for art historical study and connoisseurship, given the collection's breadth and quality.
Other Catalogues and Engravings
Beyond these major projects, Young also catalogued other collections, such as that of Sir Philip Miles at Leigh Court, Somerset, and the collection at Chatsworth House, belonging to the Duke of Devonshire. These further extended his contribution to documenting the artistic wealth held in British private hands.
Independently of the catalogues, Young produced individual mezzotint plates. One notable example is "The Young Sailor" (or "The Sailor Boy's Return"), a charming genre scene engraved by Young after a painting by John Hoppner, published in 1799. Such prints catered to the popular market for sentimental and narrative subjects. Another work sometimes attributed to his circle or period, reflecting popular themes, is "Broughton and the prize-fighter," a print from 1794. Sporting prints were immensely popular, and engravers often collaborated or worked in similar styles to meet demand. Artists like Henry Alken (1785-1851) specialized in such subjects, and engravers played a key role in their dissemination.
Artistic Style and Contribution of the Catalogues
John Young's primary artistic style was that of a reproductive engraver. His aim was not to create original compositions but to faithfully translate the paintings of others into the medium of print. In his catalogues, he often employed outline etchings for many of the illustrations. While less tonally rich than full mezzotints, outline etchings were quicker and cheaper to produce, allowing for a greater number of works to be illustrated. They conveyed the essential composition, drawing, and narrative of the paintings.
For more prominent works, or in separate publications, Young demonstrated his mastery of mezzotint. This technique, with its capacity for deep shadows and subtle highlights, was ideal for capturing the painterly qualities of oil on canvas, the textures of fabrics, and the play of light and shadow that characterized much of the art he reproduced.
The significance of Young's catalogues cannot be overstated in an era before photography. They served multiple purposes:
1. Dissemination: They made inaccessible artworks known to a wider public.
2. Education: They were invaluable for art students, who could study compositions and styles. Engravers like John Smith (c. 1652 – c. 1743) had earlier played a similar role in popularizing the works of artists like Sir Godfrey Kneller.
3. Record-Keeping: They created a visual archive of collections that might later be dispersed.
4. Promotion of British Art: Catalogues like that of Sir John Fleming Leicester's collection actively promoted the achievements of contemporary British painters.
5. Standardization: They contributed to the developing discipline of art history by systematically documenting and classifying works.
Young's efforts were part of a broader movement in the late 18th and early 19th centuries to make art more accessible and to foster national pride in artistic achievements. His work complemented that of publishers like John Boydell (1720-1804), whose Shakespeare Gallery project employed numerous painters and engravers (including the likes of Francesco Bartolozzi, 1727-1815) to create a national artistic monument.
Contemporaries and the Artistic Milieu
John Young operated within a rich network of artists, patrons, and institutions. His role at the British Institution and his cataloguing projects brought him into contact with the leading figures of the day. He would have known many of the Royal Academicians, such as the aforementioned Turner, Lawrence, West, and Fuseli, as well as sculptors like Sir Francis Chantrey (1781-1841) and John Flaxman (1755-1826), whose works were also shaping British art.
The world of engravers was a close-knit community. Besides William Say and George Townley Stubbs, other notable engravers of the period included Charles Turner (1774-1857), who also produced many fine mezzotints after contemporary painters, and Samuel William Reynolds (1773-1835), a prolific mezzotint engraver who reproduced works by Sir Joshua Reynolds and many others. These artists often competed for commissions but also learned from one another, collectively raising the standard of British engraving.
The collectors Young worked for—Grosvenor, Angerstein, Leicester, Stafford—were themselves influential figures who shaped artistic taste through their acquisitions and patronage. Their willingness to have their collections catalogued and published demonstrates a growing sense of public responsibility and a desire to contribute to the cultural enrichment of the nation.
Legacy and Historical Position
John Young's historical position is primarily that of a facilitator and popularizer of art. While original painters and sculptors often receive more direct acclaim, the role of skilled reproductive engravers like Young was crucial in the ecosystem of the art world before mechanical reproduction. He helped to build the reputations of painters by disseminating their images, and he provided an essential service to art history by documenting collections.
His catalogues remain valuable resources for scholars today, offering insights into the contents of historic collections, contemporary attributions, and the taste of the period. They are a testament to his diligence, his skill as an engraver, and his commitment to the promotion of the fine arts.
John Young passed away in 1825, just as the National Gallery was being established, an event his work on the Angerstein collection had, in a way, prefigured. His career spanned a transformative period in British art, witnessing the rise of the Royal Academy, the establishment of the British Institution, and a growing national confidence in British artistic talent. Through his dedicated work as an engraver and Keeper, John Young made a lasting contribution to this cultural flourishing, ensuring that the masterpieces of his time and of preceding eras reached beyond the walls of private mansions to inspire and educate a wider world. His name is rightly associated with the careful stewardship and generous dissemination of artistic knowledge.
