Henry Fletcher (engraver) facts for kids
Henry Fletcher was a talented English engraver who worked in London during the 1700s. An engraver is an artist who creates pictures by carving designs onto a surface, usually a metal plate. These plates are then used to print images onto paper. Fletcher was active from about 1710 to 1750, and he became well-known for his detailed and beautiful prints.
A Master of Flowers and Birds
Henry Fletcher was especially good at engraving pictures of flowers and birds. His most famous works include The Twelve Months of Flowers and The Twelve Months of Fruits. These amazing collections of prints were made in 1730. They were based on original drawings by another artist named Pieter Casteels. These prints were created for a book by Robert Furber, a famous gardener of that time.
Fletcher also created beautiful prints of birds, again working from drawings by Casteels and another artist named Charles Collins. His skill helped bring these detailed nature drawings to life on paper.
Other Notable Works
Besides his nature prints, Fletcher also worked on other interesting projects. He engraved some small pictures and decorative designs for the first edition of Voltaire's Henriade. This important book was published in London in 1728.
Fletcher also created prints of famous places and people. He worked with L. P. Boitard to engrave a series of views of Venice, based on paintings by the famous artist Canaletto. He also made prints of London scenes, like 'A View of Stocks Market in 1738' and 'A View of the Fountain in Temple Gardens', both after drawings by Joseph Nichols. Fletcher also engraved portraits of important people, including Robert Nelson and Ebenezer Pemberton.
