Page:Dictionary of Artists of the English School (1878).djvu/289

 historical subjects by him—a 'Magdalen' and a 'Sleeping Venus,' at Windsor; 'Susanna and the Elders,' at Burghley; a 'Judgment of Paris,' engraved by Lens; and some others.

, engraver. Was born in London, and apprenticed to Tomkins. He established himself as a stipple engraver, practised towards the end of the 18th century, and produced a large plate of 'The Descent from the Cross,' after Rubens. He also engraved after Downman and Smirke for the Shakespeare Gallery, and after Westall and De Wilde. His work was but indifferent, and afterwards he emigrated to America, where he made some money by engraving Bank-notes, and purchased a farm up the St. Lawrence, to which he retired, and was living there in 1808.

, enamel painter. He did not attain much excellence, and little is known of him. He died February 5, 1708, aged 77, and was buried in St. Bride's Church, Fleet Street.

LENS, Bernard, mezzo-tint engraver and draftsman. Son of the foregoing. Born in London 1659. He was instructed in art by his father, and made many drawings for other engravers, and also taught drawing. He excelled in mezzo-tint, and engraved in this manner Lely's 'Judgment of Paris' and a number of portraits, landscapes, and historical subjects. There are also some good etchings by him. He drew, in Indian ink, views and topographical sketches. Died April 28, 1725, aged 66. He published, in 1697, in connection with the well-known J. Sturt, a broad-sheet prospectus of their drawing-school in St. Paul's Churchyard, which sets forth, quite in the style of the present day, the value which drawing will prove to all classes—mechanics, professional men, and others.

LENS, Bernard, miniature painter. Born in London 1680. Son of the above, and taught by him. He was considered one of the best miniaturists of his day, and was appointed enameller and miniature painter to George II. He excelled also in his water-colour copies from Rubens, Vandyck, and other great masters. He was drawing-master to William, Duke of Cumberland, and the Princesses Mary and Louisa, and to Horace Walpole. He also held the appointment of drawing-master to Christ's Hospital. His 'New and Complete Drawing-book' (published after his death) 'for curious young Gentlemen and Ladies that study and practise the noble and commendable Art of Drawing, Colouring,' &c, contains 62 plates etched by himself, with full instructions and recipes. He also scraped some mezzo-tint plates. He died at Knightsbridge, December 30, 1740, leaving three sons; two followed his profession, one of whom was living in 1780. He made two sales of his pictures and works.

, miniature painter. He was the son of a miniature painter—most probably of the above. He exhibited with the Incorporated Society of Artists from 1765 to 1770, and in the latter year was in Antwerp. His collection of miniatures by himself and his father was sold in 1777. He used the monogram 'A.B.L.', a miniature painter practising in London in 1747, may be assumed to have been his brother.

, architect. Born in Venice. He was for some time architect to the Elector Palatine, but came to this country, where he settled in the practice of his profession, in the early part of the 18th century. He built the Duke of Queensbury's house in 1726, on the site now occupied by the branch of the Bank of England in Burlington Gardens; the mansion in Moor Park, Herts, which has great pretensions to magnificence; Lyme Hall, Cheshire, and Bodecton Park, Sussex. He superintended Lord Burlington's edition of 'Palladio,' published 1725, and afterwards published Alberti's 'Architecture,' to which he added many of his own designs. He died June 8, 1746, aged 60, and was buried in old St. Pancras's churchyard.

, designer and etcher. Of Flemish extraction. His family settled at Canterbury in the reign of Elizabeth, and he was born in Kent about 1698. His father was wealthy, gave him a good education, and he was intended for commerce; but idle and fond of pleasure he rambled on foot over the greater part of Europe. He sketched landscapes and humorous groups; and, a jovial fellow, his performances were done in taverns, where he etched droll figures on his friends' snuff-boxes. Having dissipated his patrimony, he tried in the latter part of his life to turn his abilities to some account, and made some drawings for Becket to execute in mezzo-tint, and designs for Rycaut's 'History of the Turks;' but on the death of his mother, who left him a fortune, he relapsed into his old ways, fell again into a life of dissipation, and bled for fever by an ignorant surgeon, who pricked an artery, he died in 1740. He was buried at St. Mary Magdalen, Bermondsey. Faithorne drew his portrait in crayons, and Lutterel engraved a good portrait of him.

<section begin="Lerpiniere, Daniel" />, engraver. He was a pupil of Vivares and practised in London, working after the manner of his master, both with the needle and the graver. He engraved many fine landscapes, views, sea-fights, which have much merit, and some historical subjects. Among<section end="Lerpiniere, Daniel" /> 268