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9 unusual facts about George Vertue


Abraham van der Doort

George Vertue's notes on the former Royal Collection were published in 1757, which is the reason that, following its long series of the Vertue notebooks, a collated edition of the four manuscript catalogues was published by the Walpole Society as its Volume 37 (1958–60); it was edited by Millar, who later followed van der Doort as Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures.

Fancy pictures

Fancies was a term coined in 1737 by the art critic and historian George Vertue to describe genre scenes that also incorporated invented or imagined elements, or a storyline.

Gawen Hamilton

The little that is known of Hamilton is derived mostly from the notebooks of George Vertue, who knew him well and was a fellow member, both of the convivial group that met at the Rose and Crown as well as the Club of Artists depicted by Hamilton in 1735, that met at the King's Arms in New Bond Street and commissioned the portrait by subscription, to aid Hamilton.

George Vertue

He was a member of the Rose and Crown Club, with William Hogarth, Peter Tillemans and other artists and connoisseurs, and kept some records of it.

Hans Eworth

A well-known painting identified by George Vertue in 1727 as Lady Frances Brandon and her second husband Adrian Stokes has now been correctly identified as Mary Nevill or Neville, Baroness Dacre and her son Gregory Fiennes, 10th Baron Dacre.

Isaac Milles

Bromley mentions a rare engraved portrait of him, signed by George Vertue.

As seen in portrait by George Vertue of Rev. Isaac Milles (1638-1720), Vicar of Highclere, also on funeral hatchment of Jeremiah III Milles (d.1797) in Sawbridgeworth Church

These arms are visible on the engraving of Isaac Milles by George Vertue in the British Museum.

Richard Smalbroke

A portrait, painted by T. Murray, was engraved by George Vertue in 1733.


1762 in art

Horace Walpole begins publication of Anecdotes of Painting in England, based on George Vertue's manuscript notes.

Claude Du Bosc

George Vertue states that towards the end of 1729 Bernard Baron and Du Bosc went over to Paris, Du Bosc wishing to arrange matters relating to the trade of print-selling, as he had now set up a shop, and that Vanloo then painted both their portraits, which they brought to England.

Hans Hysing

George Vertue describes portraits by him of the French engraver Joseph Goupy as 'well painted, much in Mr. Dahl's later manner.

John Smybert

Smibert painted a group portrait of the 'Virtuosi of London' society, of which he was a member; others in the group were John Wootton, Thomas Gibson, George Vertue, Bernard Lens, and other artists.

Manor House, 21 Soho Square

During Winn's tenure George Vertue recorded that a "large family picture of Sir Thomas More" was hung there, this was a copy by Rowland Lockey of the painting (now lost) by Hans Holbein and had been commissioned by the More family in 1592.

Serjeant Painter

Horace Walpole provided information about some of the tasks de Critz performed in his Anecdotes of Painting in England, which he based closely on the notes of George Vertue, who had met acquaintances of de Critz and his family.


see also