William Tassie

Place: London

Born: 1777

Death: 1860

Biography:

William Tassie (1777 – 26 October 1860) was a British gem engraver and cameo modeller of Scottish descent, who worked in London in the early 19th century. He took over the business of his uncle, James Tassie, after James's death in 1799. He added largely to his uncle's collection of casts and medallions. His portrait of Pitt, in particular, was very popular, and circulated widely. Tassie won the Boydell Shakespeare Gallery and its painting collection in a lottery held to pay off the debts of its owner, John Boydell. He auctioned the paintings at Christie's. Tassie died in 1860 and is buried in Brompton Cemetery, London. He bequeathed to the Board of Manufactures, Edinburgh, an extensive and valuable collection of casts and medallions by his uncle and himself, along with portraits of James Tassie and his wife by the painter David Allan, and a series of watercolour studies by George Sanders from pictures of the Dutch and Flemish schools.