Benjamin Vandergucht

Benjamin Vandergucht's Self Portrait of the Artist Painting his Father. Benjamin Vandergucht or Van der Gucht (1753–1794) was a picture-dealer, restorer and painter.

Life He was the thirty-second child of Gerard Vandergucht the engraver, and one of twins. He studied drawing in St Martin's Lane Academy, and on the foundation of the Royal Academy he became one of the first students in its schools.

Vandergucht became better known as a picture-restorer and picture-dealer than as an artist, and had patrons in high society. He lived for some time in Pall Mall, London, on the site later occupied by the Boydell Shakespeare Gallery. When he inherited his father's house in Upper Brook Street, he built a picture gallery onto his own house. There he stored the high-class pictures in which he dealt, charging one shilling for admission to view the collection. His collection was sold by auction at Christie's in March 1796.