Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Read, Richard
READ, RICHARD (1745?–1790?), engraver, was a pupil of James Caldwall [q. v.] in 1771, when he gained a premium of the Society of Arts for drawing. He was also taught by Bartolozzi, but produced rather slovenly work both in stipple and mezzotint. He worked as an engraver till about 1790, when he abandoned his practice to become a dealer, and printed many of Bartolozzi's worn-out plates. He died towards the end of the century.
He engraved in mezzotint a portrait of John Herries, after Martin; ‘A Dutch Lady,’ after Rembrandt; ‘The Sisters,’ after James Nixon; ‘Scene from Winter's Tale,’ after Paul Sandby (all in 1776). Among his principal stipple engravings are: ‘A Country Girl,’ after J. Boydell, 1778; ‘The Finding of Moses,’ after E. Le Sueur, 1779; ‘Beauty and Hymen,’ after Cipriani, 1783; and ‘Love Disappointed,’ after Sir William Beechey, 1784.
[Dodd's manuscript memoir of Engl. Engr. (Brit. Mus. Addit. MS. 33404, vol. xi.); Dossie's Memoirs, 1782, iii. 404; Redgrave's Dict. of Artists.]