Amateur Etcher of Distinction: Prints by Francis Seymour Haden

This year marks the bicentenary of the birth of Sir Francis Seymour Haden (1818–1910), a leading surgeon, wealthy member of London society, distinguished print collector and highly successful amateur etcher. Now an unfamiliar name, Haden was celebrated in his own time as a major figure in the ‘Etching Revival’, championing the freedom and expressiveness of the technique. He was also recognised as Rembrandt’s successor, and he broke new ground in scholarly thinking on Rembrandt’s prints. This exceptional group of Haden’s work, lent from a private collection, traces the development of his style, and includes unrecorded early proof impressions that demonstrate his manner of working.