LE KEUX, JOHN, architectural engraver, was born in 1784, in Sun-street, Bishopagate, London, where his father was a manufacturer of pewter; and to him the youth was in the first instance apprenticed, but disliking the business, he was at the age of seventeen transferred as a pupil to Mr. James Basire, an eminent architectural engraver, and remained with him four years. Le Keux formed for himself however a true and bolder style than that of his master, and eventually in the engraving of gothic architecture attained an excellence equalled by few in the profession. Indeed it would not be too much to say that gothic architecture was for the first time thoroughly well engraved in this country by him; and that his engravings did much to ren!ler the study of gothic architecture popular. He possessed a very consider able acquaintance with both the general principles and the details of gothic architecture, and consequently his eugravings displayed, not only minute correctness, but that 'feeling,' as artists term it, which is always an evidence that the work is executed as a matter of enjoy ment, and not merely as a task. Le Keux was in fact an artist and
not a mechanic, and even the admirable architectural drawiugs of Mackenzie lost nothing in fidelity, and sometimes perhaps gained a little in spirit, under the rendcriug of Le Keux's burin. The first important work we believe on Which Le Keux was engaged was 'Britton's Architectural Antiquities of England,' and he also engraved much of 'Britton's Cathedral Antiquities,' and other of Mr. Britton's works; the elder Pugin's Architectural Antiquities of Normandy,' Gothic Examples,' and Gothic Specimens ; ' Neale's Westminster Abbey,' and Churches' (vol. i.); The Oxford Almanacs ; ' and lately the Memorials of Oxford,' and Memorials of Cambridge,' both of which were projected by himself and executed with much elegance, though of course from their smaller size with somewhat less freedom than his larger works. Mr. Le Keux died April 2, 1846. His eldest son, J. H. Le Keux, has a high reputation as an architectural engraver.