Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Bettes, John
BETTES, JOHN (d. 1570?), miniature painter, is commonly stated to have been a pupil of Nicholas Hilliard. This opinion is based upon the statement of Vertue and a quotation from Richard Haydock's translation of 'Lomazzo on Painting,' which, however, will hardly bear the construction which has been put upon it: — 'Limnings, much used in former times in church books, as also in drawing by the life in small models, of late years by some of our countrymen, as Shoote, Betts, &c. But brought to the rare perfection which we now see by the most ingenious, painful, and skilful master, Nicholas Hilliard, and his well-profiting scholar, whose farther commendations I refer to the curiositie of his works.' The pupil here referred to is most probably Isaac Oliver [Oliver and Rowland Lockey are elsewhere mentioned by Haydock as the scholars of Hilliard]. The italicised words 'which we now see' in the quoted extract certainly seem to refer Bettes to an earlier date than Hilliard. In the exhibition of 'Old Masters' at the Academy 1875 was a picture attributed to Bettes with the date 1545. Hilliard was born 1547. Bettes painted a miniature in oils of Queen Elizabeth, which is said to have been highly successful. He is mentioned by Foxe in his 'Ecclesiastical History' as having engraved a pedigree and some vignettes for Hall's 'Chronicle.' He is also said to have painted the portrait of Sir John Godsalve. Foxe speaks of Bettes as already dead in 1576. His brother Thomas was also a miniature painter.
[Anecdotes of Painting; Walpole, 1849; Lomazzo on Painting, Englished by R[ichard] H[aydockl, 1698; Meres's Wit's Commonwealth, 1598; Redgrave's Dict. of Artists, 1878.]