Benjamin Vandergucht or Van der Gucht (1753–1794) was a picture-dealer, restorer and painter.
Life
He was the thirty-second child of
Gerard Vandergucht the engraver, and one of twins. He studied drawing in
St Martin's Lane Academy
The St Martin's Lane Academy, a precursor of the Royal Academy, was organised in 1735 by William Hogarth, from the circle of artists and designers who gathered at Slaughter's Coffee House at the upper end of St Martin's Lane, London. The artisti ...
, and on the foundation of the
Royal Academy he became one of the first students in its schools.
Vandergucht became better known as a picture-restorer and picture-dealer than as an artist, and had patrons in high society. He lived for some time in
Pall Mall, London
Pall Mall is a street in the St James's area of the City of Westminster, Central London. It connects St James's Street to Trafalgar Square and is a section of the regional A4 road. The street's name is derived from pall-mall, ...
, on the site later occupied by the
Boydell Shakespeare Gallery. When he inherited his father's house in
Upper Brook Street
Brook Street is an axial street in the exclusive central London district of Mayfair. Most of it is leasehold, paying ground rent to and seeking lease renewals from the reversioner, that since before 1800, has been the Grosvenor Estate. Named a ...
, he built a picture gallery onto his own house. There he stored the high-class pictures in which he dealt, charging one
shilling for admission to view the collection.
On 21 September 1794, while Vandergucht was returning from a visit on business to
Lord George Cavendish at
Chiswick House
Chiswick House is a Neo-Palladian style villa in the Chiswick district of London, England. A "glorious" example of Neo-Palladian architecture in west London, the house was designed and built by Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington (1694– ...
, the boat in which he was travelling was run down off
Barnes Terrace. Though Vandergucht was a swimmer, he was drowned.
[M.A. Michael (2019).]
Not Exactly a Connoisseur A New Portrait of James Christie by Benjamin Vandergucht
. ''The British Art Journal'' (London: Robin Simon). 19:76. His collection was sold by auction at
Christie's in March 1796.
Works
Vandergucht painted a number of portraits. Most were of actors, such as
David Garrick,
John Henry Johnstone,
John Moody, and
Henry Woodward, and some of these were engraved.
Family
Notes
;Attribution
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vandergucht, Benjamin
1753 births
1794 deaths
18th-century English painters
English male painters
English portrait painters
18th-century English businesspeople
English people of Flemish descent
18th-century English male artists