Richard Houston


Richard Houston was an Irish mezzotint engraver, whose career was mostly in London.

Life

Born in Dublin about 1721, he became a pupil of John Brooks, who was also the master of James McArdell and Charles Spooner. He came to London about 1747, and some of his early plates bear the address "near Drummond's at Charing Cross".
In debt to Robert Sayer the print-seller, he was arrested and confined to the Fleet prison; according to Sayer this in order that he might know where to find the dissipated Houston. He was released in 1760, on the accession of George III. As a free agent he was commissioned by Carington Bowles.
Houston died in Hetton Street, London, on 4 August 1775, aged 54.

Works

Houston's major works are engravings after Sir Joshua Reynolds, which include portraits of:
He engraved also:
A series of portraits by him is in Richard Rolt's Lives of the Principal Reformers, London, 1759. Besides portraits, he executed a number of subject plates, such as:
.
Houston's early work included his series of portraits of politicians after William Hoare, as well as plates after Rembrandt. For Bowles he engraved religious figures. He painted a few miniatures.