thumb|right|Valentine Green by [[Lemuel Francis Abbott]]

Valentine Green (3 October 173929 July 1813) was a British mezzotinter and print publisher. Green trained under Robert Hancock, a Worcester engraver, after which he moved to London and began working as a mezzotint engraver. He began to exhibit with the Incorporated Society of Artists from 1766, became a fellow a year later and a director in 1771. He was appointed mezzotint engraver to the King in 1773, and the following year was elected an associate engraver with the Royal Academy. Throughout the 1770s and 1780s, Green's engraving practice flourished. In the 1790s, however, several of his international speculations failed and in 1798 he was declared bankrupt. In 1805, he accepted the role of keeper of the British Institution, a post he held until his death.

Biography

Born in Salford Priors, he was placed by his father in a solicitor's office at Evesham, where he remained for two years; but ultimately he decided, on his own responsibility, to abandon the legal profession and became a pupil of a line engraver at Worcester. In 1765, he migrated to London and began work as a mezzotint engraver, having taught himself the technicalities of this art, and quickly rose to a position in absolutely the front rank of British engravers. On first coming to London he published in collaboration with the Aquatint engraver Francis Jukes.

Career

thumb|[[the Ladies Waldegrave|Portrait of the Ladies Waldegrave, mezzotint after Joshua Reynolds]]

He became a member of the Incorporated Society of Artists in 1767, an associate-engraver of the Royal Academy in 1775, and for some forty years he followed his profession with the greatest success. The exclusive right of engraving and publishing plates from the pictures in the Düsseldorf gallery was granted him by the duke of Bavaria in 1789, but, after he had issued more than twenty of these plates, the siege of that city by the French put an end to this undertaking and caused him serious financial loss. This formed the groundwork for his second book "the History and antiquities of the City and Suburbs of Worcester", published as two volumes on 3 April 1796. Printed for the author by W.Bulmer and Co. and sold by G.Nicol of London. His third work was "An Account of the Discovery of the Body of King John: In the Cathedral Church of Worcester", published by V. and R. Green, Percy Street, Bedford Square, London on 17 July 1797.

Legacy

James Walker (c.1748–c.1808) was one of Green's pupils.

References

  • Alfred Whitman. Valentine Green (London, 1902).