Barton Booth
- Artist: John Vanderbank
- Date: circa 1730-1760
- Medium: engraving
- Dimensions: Long Term Loan
- Portrays: Barton Booth
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
"This is a portrait of the actor Barton Booth – that’s the title “Barton Booth.” In front of you sits a line drawing made by an engraver, probably copied from a painting by John Vanderbank. You’ll see his face, hat and collar rendered in fine lines; the black‑and‑white contrast gives it depth like a charcoal sketch.
The engraving was produced around 1730–1760, after Vanderbank’s own portrait of Booth. It captures the actor’s expression with great detail – his eyes look forward, and the subtle folds of his costume are defined by crosshatching. The lines show skill in reproducing the painter’s color work into monochrome.
Vanderbank was a portraitist active in London early‑18th century, known for 99 portraits; this engraving brings one of those images to life for later generations. Booth himself appears in four surviving works, and this copy lets us appreciate his likeness when the original may be lost. Enjoy the precision of the engraving as it freezes the actor’s presence into ink.”
See it in person
Barton Booth is in the collection of The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
