DALTON Richard

(Cumberland 1715 – London 1791)

Draftsman and English engraver about whom we have little information. It is known that he did his apprenticeship with a painter from Clerkenwell, at that time London’s artists’ district. Later he moved to Rome where he improved himself in drawing and engraving.

During his Roman stay he drew ancient statues using red ink, including a reproduction of the Ercole Farnese, on behalf of Lord Brooke and drawings for the Countess of Hertford reproducing Raffaello’s frescoes and executed with black and white inks on blue paper (technique that he described as his own invention).

In 1749 he travelled along with Lord Charlemont, Irish statesman, in many countries including Greece, Turkey and Egypt and in 1763 he returned to Italy as the official librarian of the Prince of Wales (future King George III). Besides an engraver Dalton was also a printing merchant in an own storehouse. Since the sale was stagnant he convinced King George III to convert the building into a kind of Academy to promote the fine arts. The storehause was demolished and replaced with a new building, first seat of the Royal Academy of Arts, where Dalton was the Royal Librarian and Superintendent of the Royal Painting Collections.

Numerous are Dalton’s engravings derived from the Guercino drawings preserved in the Royal English collections and published, together with the engravings of Francesco Bartolozzi, in a volume published by John Boydell around 1765.