James Fittler ARA (October 1758, in London – 2 December 1835) was an English engraver of portraits and landscapes and an illustrator of books. He was appointed by King George III to be his marine engraver.

James Fittler
BornOctober 1758
Died2 December 1835
Turnham Green, England
Resting placeSt Nicholas churchyard, Chiswick, England
NationalityBritish
OccupationEngraver
Lord Kenyon: engraving by James Fittler

Life

edit

Fittler was born in London in October 1758. In April 1778 he enrolled as student at the Royal Academy Schools and studied engraving. Besides book illustrations, he distinguished himself by numerous works after English and foreign artists, chiefly portraits. He also engraved landscapes, marine subjects, and topographical views, and was appointed marine engraver to George III. In 1788 he resided at 62 Upper Charlotte Street, Rathbone Place in London.

Fittler was elected an associate of the Royal Academy in 1800. He died at Turnham Green, and was buried in Chiswick churchyard. His prints, books, and copper-plates were sold at Sotheby's on 14–16 July 1825.

Works

edit

Fittler exhibited at the Royal Academy between 1776 and 1824.

Among his works are:

 
Frontispiece from Fittler's Scotia Depicta showing Fingal's Cave on the island of Staffa

He also executed the plates for Edward Forster's British Gallery, many of those for John Bell's British Theatre, and all the illustrations in Thomas Frognall Dibdin's Ædes Althorpianæ, published in 1822, after which he undertook no important work.

References

edit
  1. ^ Fittler, James; Nattes, John Claude (1804). Scotia Depicta, or the antiquities, castles, public buildings, noblemen and gentlemen's seats, cities, towns and picturesque scenery of Scotland. London, Edinburgh. Retrieved 16 November 2013.

  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain"Fittler, James". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.

edit