1653 – 1719
Isaac Beckett was an English engraver.
He began as an apprentice at a London printer and, after meeting Edward Luttrell, decided to learn the new art of halftone engraving by associating with him in the development of the art.
Beckett and Robert Williams were the first native Englishmen who practiced halftone engraving extensively, and to some extent they can be considered to have founded the school, as earlier works were performed mainly by engravers of foreign origin.
Beckett engraved several biblical and allegorical subjects and some landscapes, but the vast majority of his engravings are portraits, 107 of which are known. His plates all refer to dates between 1681 and 1688, although he lived until 1719.
