Joseph Saunders

JOSEPH SAUNDERS (1773-1853).
"Portrait," c. 1794.
Miniature.
Presents inscription on the back.
Measurements. 7,5 x 6 cm.
Joseph Saunders (1773 - 1853) was an English engraver, illustrator and teacher active in London, St. Petersburg and Vilnius. He arrived in Russia around 1795, where he was appointed court engraver and taught at the St. Petersburg Academy. In 1810 he assumed the chair of fine arts at the University of Vilnius, where he promoted the teaching of art history, drawing and engraving, also introducing the term "romantic" in Poland. His work focused on teaching and cultural dissemination rather than artistic production, although he produced portraits, illustrations and prints inspired by European masters. He traveled to Italy and lived in Florence, Pisa and Odessa before returning to Vilna, where he died in 1853. He was a key figure in the consolidation of the academic study of art in Eastern Europe.