Martin Billingsley, Writing Master
1651
Medium
engraving
Dimensions
sheet: 17.3 × 12.3 cm (6 13/16 × 4 13/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1951.11.596
Art Historical Context
This 1651 engraving by John Goddard presents a portrait of Martin Billingsley, a noted writing master whose profession centered on the art of penmanship. Created during England’s Commonwealth period, the print reflects the era’s growing emphasis on literacy and refined handwriting as essential skills for commerce, administration, and personal expression. As a modest-sized sheet measuring just over six by four inches, the work exemplifies how engravings served as accessible vehicles for disseminating images of notable figures to a wider audience. Goddard’s precise line work captures the textur...
About the Artist
John Goddard
John Goddard (1723/24–1785) was a preeminent American cabinetmaker whose innovative designs defined the Newport school of furniture making in colonial Rhode Island. Born in Massachusetts, where he trained as a house carpenter, Goddard relocated to Newport in the 1740s with his family. There, he and his younger brother James worked for the esteemed cabinetmaker Job Townsend. Goddard solidified his ...