Arthur Pond

Arthur Pond was an artist and printmaker active during the 18th century, with his documented career spanning the period from 1730 to 1800. His creative output consisted primarily of prints and etchings, often dedicated to reproductive illustration and the scholarly dissemination of older masters’ work.

Pond’s dedication to reproductive printmaking is exemplified by his major publication, the collaboratively produced volume A Collection of Etchings and Engravings in Imitation of Drawings from Various Old Masters, Being Facsimiles of Their Respective Performances, Chiefly by Arthur Pond, & Charles Knapton, London 1734 &c. This significant work established his role in bringing high-quality prints of canonical art to a broader audience.

Beyond this major volume, other known Arthur Pond prints represented in collections include the mythological subject Venus Surrounded by Putti, the portrait Portrait of Sebastiano Resta, and the character study Il Gobbo dei Carracci. He also executed military and historical subjects, such as Cavalry advancing to the charge, with a central figure on horseback raising a sword.

Seven of Pond’s works, consisting of six prints and one book, are preserved in major United States institutions. These holdings confirm his standing in 18th-century graphic arts. His works are represented in the collections of the National Gallery of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Art Institute of Chicago. As historical material, much of his documented oeuvre is now in the public domain, supporting scholarship and accessibility of his original work.