RKD STUDIES

Thomas Worlidge was born in Peterborough in 1700 and died in Hammersmith, London in 1766.¹ Worlidge was an apprentice to the painter Alessandro Maria Grimaldi (1659-1732) before joining the French engraver Louis Philippe Boitard (fl. 1733-1767) in London around 1735.² He decided to stay in London, and from the 1740s Worlidge worked mainly as a portrait painter and printmaker. From the 1730s, however, he made regular visits to the city of Bath, usually in the winter, presumably to gain more stability in his commissions. Samantha Howard suggests that Worlidge followed the pattern of aristocratic movement between the city of London and the recreational town of Bath.³ Bath had become an an increasingly desirable destination after the first visit of James VI and I’s (1566-1625) consort Queen Anne of Denmark (1574-1619), in 1613. After Queen Anne of England and Schotland (1665-1714) visited Bath in 1702, the city experienced another important period of infrastructural expansion. Richard ‘Beau’ Nash (1674-1761) was appointed as the ‘Master of Ceremonies’ shortly afterwards.⁴ He was instrumental in the further development of Bath by organizing various festivities that drew in more of London’s high society, who subsequently became clients of Worlidge.⁵ In 1736 Worlidge drew Nash’s portrait [8].⁶ It is evidence of Worlidge’s connections with Nash and, by extension, with the English upper classes. Worlidge carried out several portrait commissions in Bath. He was best known for his miniature portraits [9], as well as his black lead pencil portraits [10-11], which provided him with a steady income.⁷ In addition to his commissions in Bath, Worlidge continued to work in London, where he regularly exhibited his work in the London Coffee House.⁸

In 1743, Worlidge married his second wife, Mary Wicksteed (died 1790), whose father ran Wicksteed’s Toy Shop and Luxury Goods in Bath.⁹ Through this shop, Worlidge sold his prints, but he also placed advertisements in newspapers. His career took an upward turn in the 1750s when he began to study the graphic oeuvre of Rembrandt and to execute prints and paintings in his manner.¹⁰ In 1758, for example, he advertised a copy of Rembrandt’s 100-Gilder print as ‘an exact copy of that celebrated etching of Rembrandt’ [12-13].¹¹ A comparison of the two pictures shows their striking similarities, to the point where it is almost impossible to distinguish between Rembrandt’s and Worlidge’s work. Worlidge meticulously imitated Rembrandt’s composition, but above all his etching technique. His approach confirmed his artistic talent and reassured contemporary viewers of Worlidge’s ability to copy Rembrandt convincingly. This was useful in gaining new commissions as Rembrandt’s motifs and techniques became popular.

The positive reception that Rembrandt’s work had received in England by this time was beneficial to Worlidge’s aims as an artist, and especially as a portraitist. Worlidge concentrated on Rembrandt’s popular subjects. These were mainly facial representations such as the tronies. Rembrandt’s tronies were apparently well received in England and increasingly appeared on the art market, whether as originals, copies, reproductions or, later, as forgeries. These two factors, Rembrandt’s growing reputation and Worlidge’s choice of subject and skill as an etcher, determined his success as an artist in England.

8
Thomas Worlidge
Portrait of Beau Nash (1674-1762), dated 1736
London (England), Royal Collection - Buckingham Palace, inv./cat.nr. RCIN 452428

9
Thomas Worlidge
Portrait of Samuel Foote (1720-1777), mid 18th century
London (England), Victoria and Albert Museum, inv./cat.nr. P.9-1942

10
Thomas Worlidge
Portrait of Portrait of Dutton
London (England), British Museum

11
Thomas Worlidge
Portrait of Mrs Jemima Kindersley, second qurter 18th century
London (England), Victoria and Albert Museum, inv./cat.nr. EVANS.341