Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Jackson, John Richardson
JACKSON, JOHN RICHARDSON (1819–1877), engraver, born at Portsmouth on 14 Dec. 1819, was second son of E. Jackson, a banker in that town. In 1836 he became pupil to Robert Graves, A.R.A. [q. v.], from whom he learnt line-engraving. He subsequently devoted himself to engraving in mezzotint. In 1847 he engraved ‘The Otter and Salmon’ after Sir Edwin Landseer, which brought him into notice. He obtained frequent employment as an engraver of portraits, and to that work he almost entirely devoted himself. His engravings show careful drawing, and a great feeling for the colour in mezzotint. He engraved numerous portraits after George Richmond, R.A., including ‘Lord Hatherley,’ ‘The Earl of Radnor,’ ‘Samuel Wilberforce,’ ‘Archbishop Trench;’ several after J. P. Knight, R.A., including ‘Sir F. Grant, R.A.,’ and ‘F. R. Say;’ ‘The Queen’ after W. Fowler; ‘The Princess Royal and her Sisters’ after Winterhalter; ‘The Archbishop of Armagh’ after J. Catterson Smith, and ‘Lady Gertrude Fitzpatrick’ after Sir Joshua Reynolds. He also engraved, among other subjects, ‘St. John the Baptist’ after the well-known picture by Murillo in the National Gallery. Jackson died at Southsea of fever on 10 May 1877. There are some fine examples of his engravings in the print room at the British Museum.
[Printing Times, 15 June 1877; Art Journal, 1877, p. 155; Redgrave's Dict. of Artists.]