BOYDELL, John, English engraver, more distinguished as an encourager of the fine arts than on account of his own productions: b. Darrington, Shropshire, 19 Jan. 1719: d. 12 Dec. 1804. He was intended for his father's occupation, which was that of land-surveyor. Accident having thrown in his way Baddeley's of Different Country Seats,' he con ceived so strong an inclination for engraving that he determined to adopt it as a profession; and accordingly, when above 20, he bound him self apprentice for seven years to W. H. Towns, a London engraver. In 1745 he published six small landscapes, and afterward executed as many more views of places in and near London as formed a volume, which he published by subscription. With the profits of this work he established himself as a printseller, and by his liberality to artists in general established a high reputation as a patron of ingenious men. Wool let was employed by him to engrave the cele brated pictures of Niobe and Phaeton, and he furnished other eminent artists with occupa tion, and was thus enabled to carry on an extensive foreign trade in English prints, which tended greatly to his own emolument and to the credit and advantage of his native country.
Having at length established what may be termed an English school of engraving, he next turned his attention to the improvement of the art of painting. With that view he engaged the first artists in the kingdom to fur nish the collection of pictures forming the well known Shakespeare Gallery. The wars arising out of the French Revolution having obstructed his continental trade, he was induced in 1804 to solicit an act of Parliament to permit him to dispose of his gallery and paintings by lot tery. This he obtained, and lived long enough to see every ticket disposed of, but died before the lottery was drawn. In 1782 he was elected alderman and in 1790 Lord Mayor. Sir Joshua Reynolds called him ethe commercial Maecenas of England."