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| Thomas Gainsborough Study of a man sketching, holding a Claude Glass ca. 1750-55 drawing British Museum |
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| Claude Glass ca. 1775-80 blackened mirror-glass in a case Victoria & Albert Museum |
"Claude Glasses reflected and concentrated the image, so helping the artist to compose a picturesque view of landscape. They were named after the 17th-century artist, Claude Lorrain (1604-1682). His landscapes were particularly admired in Britain and such glasses were widely used in the late 18th century by amateur artists. The 'glass' consists of a slightly convex blackened mirror, which was carried in the hand and held up to the eye. The image thus seen was the scenery behind – rather than in front of – the user. The mirror's convexity reduced extensive views to the dimensions of a small drawing. The use of a blackened rather than an ordinary silvered mirror resulted in a somewhat weakened reflection which stressed the prominent features in the landscape at the expense of detail. It also lowered the colour key. A larger version of this device is said on occasion to have been fixed to the windows of horse-drawn carriages in order to reflect the passing scenery."
– curator's notes from the Victoria & Albert Museum, London
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| Cornelis Ploos van Amstel after Gerbrand van den Eeckhout Village scene with draughtsman in front of cottage 1767 etching British Museum |
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| Johann Christian Reinhart A Subiaco (river running through lush landscape with artist at work) 1793 etching British Museum |
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| Johann Christian Reinhart In Villa Mecenate a Tivoli (waterfall inside domed ruins with artist drawing the scene) 1793 etching British Museum |
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| Johann Heinrich Troll View of Lake Lucerne with artist sketching 1803 hand-colored etching, aquatint British Museum |
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| Bartholomaus Ignaz Weiss Landscape with two painters (forgery of a print by Willem van Bemmel) before 1814 etching British Museum |
Bartholomaus Ignaz Weiss (printmaker, painter/draughtsman, ca. 1740-1814). Miniature painter and etcher. Born in Munich, began painting at Nymphenburg porcelain factory. Later miniature painter to Bavarian court. Made imitations and deceptive copies after old masters.
Willem van Bemmel (printmaker, painter/draughtsman, 1630-1708). Landscape painter and etcher. Born in Utrecht, went to Italy in 1647-53 and to Germany in 1653 where he worked in Kassel, Augsburg and Nuremberg.
– biographical notes from the British Museum
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| James Mitan after Thomas Stothard Young woman carrying Cupid-statue exchanging gazes with sculptor at work on a statue of lovers 1818 etching, engraving (for sheet-music cover) British Museum |
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| François Marius Granet Two artist-monks in studio ca. 1830 drawing British Museum |
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| Auguste Numans after Paul Lauters Le Dessinateur (Artist drawing in a forest) 1840 etching British Museum |
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| William Armstrong Elderly painter of former days in studio ca. 1840-60 wood-engraving (book illustration) British Museum |
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| Charles West Cope A Painter of the Old Time 1844 etching British Museum |
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| John Leech The Mermaid's Haunt (beach scene with young women engaged in sketching and other refined pursuits) 1865 chromolithograph British Museum |
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| William Unger Artist sketching in a cemetery in Lovran (Croatia) ca. 1880 etching British Museum |
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| Charles Holroyd How Antonio Bazzi (Il Sodoma, 1477-1549) painted the cloisters at Monte Oliveto 1893 etching British Museum |