Benjamin Vandergucht

Benjamin Vandergucht or Van der Gucht (1753–1794)[1] was a picture-dealer, restorer and painter.

Benjamin Vandergucht's Self Portrait of the Artist Painting his Father.

Life

He was the thirty-second child of Gerard Vandergucht the engraver, and one of twins. He studied drawing in St Martin's Lane Academy, and on the foundation of the Royal Academy he became one of the first students in its schools.[2]

Vandergucht became better known as a picture-restorer and picture-dealer than as an artist, and had patrons in high society. He lived for some time in Pall Mall, London, on the site later occupied by the Boydell Shakespeare Gallery. When he inherited his father's house in Upper Brook Street, he built a picture gallery onto his own house. There he stored the high-class pictures in which he dealt, charging one shilling for admission to view the collection.[2]

On 21 September 1794, while Vandergucht was returning from a visit on business to Lord George Cavendish at Chiswick House, the boat in which he was travelling was run down off Barnes Terrace. Though Vandergucht was a swimmer, he was drowned.[3] His collection was sold by auction at Christie's in March 1796.[2]

Works

Henry Woodward in character as Petruchio in Catharine and Petruchio by Benjamin Vandergucht.

Vandergucht painted a number of portraits. Most were of actors, such as David Garrick, John Henry Johnstone, John Moody, and Henry Woodward, and some of these were engraved.[2]

Family

Notes

1. Clayton, Timothy. "Vandergucht, Gerard". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/28071. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
2. Lee, Sidney, ed. (1899). "Van der Gucht, Michael" . Dictionary of National Biography. 58. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
3. M.A. Michael (2019). "Not Exactly a Connoisseur A New Portrait of James Christie by Benjamin Vandergucht". The British Art Journal (London: Robin Simon). 19:76.

Attribution

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Lee, Sidney, ed. (1899). "Van der Gucht, Michael". Dictionary of National Biography. 58. London: Smith, Elder & Co.