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needle, in which he endeavoured to base his style upon that of 
Rembrandt, finishing his plates with the graver or drypoint. 
This has been designated the “ scritch-scratch ” style, but some 
of his etchings are marvels of delicacy and softness, and his prints, 
which consists chiefly of heads and portraits, are very numerous, 
and many possess great merit, though the comparison which he 
challenged by posing as the English Rembrandt is ridiculous. 
He copied several of Rembrandt’s plates, and advertised one in 
the Bath Chronicle of 1757 thus : 
“To be published by subscription an exact copy of the celebrated 
“etching of Rembrandt, the Hundred Guilder print, the 
“same size as the original, by Thos. Worlidge, Painter, 
“ Bath, residing at Mrs. Wicksteed’s, in the Grove, where 
“can be obtained several new pieces after the manner of 
“Rembrandt, by Thos. Worlidge.” 
This print I am enabled, by the courtesy of Mr. Fredk. Shum, to 
show you to-day, but I fear that the “exactitude” with which 
Rembrandt is copied would deceive but few. He also etched a 
large number of antique gems, which were published after his 
death in a volume, consisting of a hundred and eighty plates, 
and two extra ones. Prefixed to this volume (which also by Mr. 
Shum’s kindness I am able to show you) is his portrait of himself 
posed as Rembrandt, which was re-engraved for Walpole’s 
“Anecdotes of Painting.” The gems are beautifully etched, 
notably the two extra plates of “ Medusa” and ‘Hercules struggling 
with a lion,” and the first state of the prints on satin is of consider- 
able rarity and value. I noticed recently about a hundred of the 
original coppers for sale at a very moderate price, and it would 
have been gratifying to see them obtained for the city. 
Worlidge married the daughter of a toyman of Bath, who 
was gifted with great beauty and was able to assist him in his 
art, while she herself practised the then fashionable art of 
reproducing pictures in woolwork. Worlidge himself seems to 
have been of a happy-go-lucky disposition, taking “no care for 
the morrow,” for we are told that when in want of a dinner in 
