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Abbott, Lemual Francis c. 1760-1802 |
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Lemuel Francis Abbot was renowned for his portraits of
mostly Naval officers and literary figures of the 18th century. He was
born in Leicestershire about 1760/61, the son of a Leicestershire
clergyman, Reverend Lemuel Abbott. He became a pupil of Francis Hayman in
1775 and lived in London.
He married a roman catholic - Anna Maria in about 1780. He exhibited at the Royal Academy, although he never became an RA. At the age of around forty he became insane and was attended by Dr. Thomas Munro (1759-1833) the chief physician to Bethlem Hospital and a specialist in mental disorders, Munro also treated the insanity of King George III (1738-1820) and Lemuel Abbot Francis was certified in 1801. Died London on 5 December 1802 |
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Adam. c. 1976 |
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| Born in China, Adam started painting in 1992 and works for Ocean's Bridge. His speciality is Portraiture and his favorite artist Angres. Adam has exhibited in his hometown of Nanping, Fujian. | Source 4 |
Alexander, Donald |
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Archer, James 1823-1904ARSA 1850, RSA 1858 |
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Studied at the Trustee’s Academy under Sir William Allan and Thomas Duncan. Early work was portraiture in chalk, but in the late 1850’s embarked upon a series of canvases based on the Arthurian legends reflecting the influence of the Pre-Raphaelites. In 1864 settled in London painting portraits and historical subjects. Reputedly the first Victorian to paint children’s portraits in period costume. While intellectually less interesting than Sir Noel Paton, had fine technique on oil. As a colourist he attained silvery opalescence ad rich glowing tones. Died Haslemere. |
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Chaplain, Jules-Clément 1839-1909 |
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Born in Mortagne, France. The career of Jules Clement Chaplain (1839-1909) is emblematic of this “Golden Age”. A winner of the Prix de Rome in 1863, Chaplain returned to Paris in 1869 where he found official success almost immediately, winning notice in the Salons of 1870 and 1872. In rapid succession, Chaplain was named in 1877 the official medallist of the French government, in 1878 a chevalier of the Legion of Honor and in 1881 to the seat at the Académie des Beaux Arts left vacant by the death of Jacques-Edouard Gatteaux. He was responsible for the official portraits of every president of the French Republic from Edme Patrice Mac-Mahon in 1877 to Émile Loubet in 1899. Chaplain received the commission for engraving the gold coinage of France at the urging of Roger-Marx, and his official gold medal commemorating the visit of Czar Nicholas and Czarina Alexandra of Russia to Paris in 1896 was called, by no less a critic than Forrer “a masterpiece and one of the finest ever struck. Indeed, the success and longevity of Chaplain’s career as official medallist of the French Government alone would be sufficient to secure him a place of historical importance. It is, however, his series of cast portrait medals that constitutes his great achievement as an artist. Chaplain, by the late 1870’s, had developed an intimate and realistic style of portraiture. Less concerned with the three-dimensionality, Chaplain allows his portraits to emerge from and interact with the surrounding field. He depicts his subjects in a manner vigorous yet refined, establishing his compositions with a series of free and sweeping lines. |
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Cosway, Richard |
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Douglas, William 1780-1832 |
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Born Fife, a portrait miniature painter usually on a small or miniature
scale. Miniature painter for Scotland to Princess Charlotte and
Prince Leopold. His work has considerable charm and often includes
animals. Died Edinburgh. |
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Engleheart, George 1750/5-1829 |
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| One of eight sons born to Francis Englehart (died 1773), a German plaster-modeller and his wife Anne Dawney. Said to have been born at Kew 26 October 1750 but when he entered the R.A. schools on 3 November 1769 his age was noted as ’16 last Nov.’; if this is correct it makes his date of birth November 1753. Was a pupil of George Barret, R.A., and of Sir Joshua Reynolds, some of whose work he copied in miniature. After his fathers death, the spelling of the name was changed to Engleheart. Exhibited at the R.A., 1773-1822. Worked chiefly in London at Shepherd Street, Hanover Square (1773) and Princes Street, Hanover Square (1776), in which year he married his first wife, Elizabeth, daughter of Nathaniel Browne. She died 29 April 1779 aged 26. In 1783 he moved to Hertford Street and in 1785 married Ursula Sarah Browne (died 1817) by whom he had four children, George, Nathaniel, Harry and Emma. Kept a fee book from 1775 and many tracings of miniatures. Knew Romney, William Blake (q.v.), W. Hayley, and J. Meyer (q.v.). Retired in 1813 to his county house at Bedfont, near Hounslow, after which he only painted a small number of miniatures and water-colours. Was looked after by his daughter, Emma, after his second wife’s death, but ultimately gave up his house and lived with his son Nathaniel at Blackheath, c. 1818. He died there 21 March 1829 and was buried at Kew. His work falls approximately into three phases. His earliest miniatures were signed G.E. on the on the front, the draughtsmanship was often unsure and his full style had not yet developed. The size of the miniatures of this period were usually small and the backgrounds, as in the case of one of a child, in my collection, were a darkish buff colour, the shading often being obtained by fine vertical or slightly slanting strokes, and the application of opaque white to indicate the highlights on the hair and face. ………………………………….. | Source 2 |
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Faed, Thomas 1826-1900ARSA 1849, ARA 1861, RA 1864 |
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Born Gatehouse-of-Fleet, the younger brother of JOHN FAED, he joined his brother in Edinburgh aged 17 and enrolled at the Trustees’ Academy, where he won the prize in the life class in 1847. In 1849 he exhibited six paintings at the RSA, all selling on the first day and in 1851 he had three paintings hung at the RA. In 1852 Faed settled in London, his first great success being The Mitherless Bairn, which was shown at the RSA in 1855. Faed’s carefully composed and finely painted scenes from Scottish life appealed to the Victorian public, and while he played upon their emotions, he never degenerated into pure sentimentalism. Another successful work was The Last of the Clan, which highlighted the decline of the Highland society. He also painted a number of canvases depicting single figures, usually pretty girls in landscapes. These had a great influence on artists like ROBERT HERDMAN. Technically, Tom Faed was expert; his handling of oil in interiors, figures, still-life details and landscape and his sense of colour and composition rarely failed him. He managed to relate his subjects to his public, telling students at London Art School to ‘paint the gutter children of London rather than Helen of Troy, Agamemnon or Achilles.’ Died London. |
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Flaxman, John jnr 1755-1826 |
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Born at York, the son of a modeller and plaster cast supplier. From an
early age he showed considerable artistic skill, and in 1770 he joined
the Academy Schools, and was awarded a silver medal a year later. In
1775 he began to design bas-reliefs, and to model portrait medallions,
for Josiah Wedgwood I. Among the most famous of his bas-reliefs for
Wedgwood can be included the 'Dancing Hours', and the renowned
'Apotheosis of Homer'. In 1787, accompanied by his wife, he journeyed to Rome where he lived for seven years. During this time he sent designs to Wedgwood, as well as supervising modellers on behalf of the factory. He returned to England in 1794, and then devoted himself chiefly to monumental sculpture. He became a member of the Royal Academy in 1800, and a member of the Academy of Rome in 1816. |
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Lindo, J |
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McVitte, G 19xx- |
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| A Cumbrian artist…………….. | |
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Hardiviller, D |
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Medina, Sir John Baptiste De 1659-1710 |
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| Born Brussels, trained under François
Duchâtel and moved to London in 1686. Set up as a portrait painter and
painted the Earl of Leven and the Earl and Countess of Melville (1691).
Moved to Edinburgh 1693-4 under their patronage and that of the Countess
of Rothes and established a successful portrait practice out of what was
intended to be a ahort visit. There were a few other competing
portraitists and he painted the most important social and political
figures. William Aikman studied under Medina. From 1697 Medina
worked on a large series of important paintings for the Royal Collage of
Surgeons in Edinburgh. Died Edinburgh. |
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Mee, Mrs. Joseph (Miss Anne Foldstone) c.1770/5-1851 |
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| Née Anne Foldstone; daughter of an artist John Foldstone, a copyist of pictures, living in 1770 in Little Castle Street, Oxford Market, London, who died while young. Anne was educated at a French Lady’s school in London. Had artistic gifts as a musician, poetess and painter. Was a protégée and pupil of Romney. Said to have supported her mother and eight brothers and sisters at a early age, She obtained the patronage of George IV (when Prince of Wales) and was working at Windsor Castle in 1790 and 1791. By 1804 she was asking as much as 40 guineas for a miniature. Sometime before 1804 she married Joseph Mee, of Mount Anna, Armagh (died 1849) by whom she had six children before she was 33. One daughter, Anna Elizabeth, married Yuyr Burges, by whom she had a son, Henry Cust Burges, who was painted by his grandmother when about 20 years of age. Mrs. Mee painted all the Burges family. Anna Elizabeth lived to be 92. Another daughter, Mrs. Robertson (q.v.) also painted miniatures. Joseph Mee was possessed of a fairly large estate in Armagh and left a handsome property and houses, etc. Family tradition has it that he was proud of his wife’s hair and after a violent quarrel she cut it close to her head just to spite him! He was a barrister, who was said to have been jealous of his wife and would not let men sit to her. She exhibited at the R.A. and B.I., 1804-1837. Was in Brighton in 1834. She died 28 May 1851 when, according to her obituary in the Gentleman’s Magazine, she was 76, making her date of birth 1775. Mrs. Mee was influenced by Cosway (q.v.) but her work is uneven and not always well drawn. Often her eyes are rather large, and in her early work the colour scheme is simple. The face is usually painted with a mixture of stippling and hatching. Some of her miniatures are large. Engravings were made after her works. The Wallace Collection has a miniature by her, and a number are in the collection of H.M. the Queen. Two miniatures by her were exhibited in Edinburgh in 1965, one of Mrs. Andrew Stuart (of which there are two versions) one from the collection of Madame Stuart Stevenson, and the other from my collection, of Miss Mary Brisbane, sister of Sir Thomas Brisbane. This latter miniature is of outstanding quality. A self-portrait of the artist and three other family miniatures thought to represent her husband and two sons are at the V. & A. M. | Source 2 |
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Nasmyth, Alexander 1758-1840 |
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| Born in the
Grassmarket, Edinburgh, the son of a successful builder. He attended some
classes at the Trustees’ Academy before moving to London to work in
RAMSAY’s studio. In London, Ramsay introduced Nasmyth to Italian art, showing him his collection and no doubt discussing his experiences with his pupil. He returned to Edinburgh in 1778 and was soon involved with Patrick Miller’s experiment with paddle-driven steamers on Dalswinton Loch. Nasmyth made working drawings for the project, in addition to painting a family portrait for Miller who encouraged Nasmyth to visit Italy and helped finance the trip which lasted from 1782—84. Italy made a lasting impression on Nasmyth who visited Florence, Bologna, Padua and Rome seeing the work of Claude Lorain and Jacob More. Nasmyth returned to Edinburgh determined to paint landscape, but wanted to paint Scotland and not Italy. He was encouraged in this by the poet Robert Burns and together they made walking tours through the Pentland Hills or along the River Nith. His early landscapes are based upon Italian Seicento principles with a series of repoussoirs and framing trees or buildings to take the eye into the distance. He continued to paint Italian subjects right up to his death, presumably reworking drawings made in Italy, but the majority of his landscapes were of Scotland, however Italianate in feeling. Nasmyth’s landscape style began to change around 1807—10. He probably saw Dutch landscapes in London with his son Patrick who became an enthusiast of Hobbema and Ruisdael. Moreover, his Scottish contemporaries like JOHN THOMSON and ‘GRECIAN’ WILLIAMS were broadening their approach to landscape. Nasmyth began to paint cloudy skies capturing the movement of light across the ground beneath. His watercolours of this period show a growing interest in atmospheric conditions: cloudy skies, storms at sea, trees in the wind. His handling of paint, both oil and watercolour, also broadened in his later year. Nasmyth was also a topographical artist providing views of Edinburgh for his clients. In 1821, 16 drawings by Nasmyth depicting Scottish views associated with the Waverley Novels were engraved by W.H. Lizars and published. Nasmyth also worked on theatre design for the Theatre Royal, Glasgow and the Theatre Royal, Edinburgh. In addition to landscape Nasmyth painted portraits, although these mostly date to the year immediately after his return from Rome, before his landscapes provided a regular income. At some stage between 1785 and 1792 he opened a landscape School at his house at 47 York Place, Edinburgh. At first he ran the school himself but later his children, in particular Barbara and Jane, helped. He insisted upon drawing as a basic skill and took his pupils on sketching trips to Arthur’s Seat, Salisbury Crags, Roslin Castle, Duddingston Loch, Craigmillar Castle, Hawthornden and the Pentlands. The concept of teaching pupils in the open air rather than copying antique casts was novel. Nasmyth stressed ‘Graphic Eloquence’ or good drawing. Composition was encouraged by using bricks or blocks of wood thrown down at random which the pupils had to draw noting their proportion and form. Nasmyth was an excellent teacher and his pupils included his son Patrick, ‘Grecian’ Williams, ANDREW WILSON and, for a short period, JOHN THOMSON OF DUDDING5TON. Died Edinburgh. |
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Partridge, John 1790-1872 |
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| Born Glasgow. Moved to London and
became Painter Extraordinary to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1845.
Painted portraits and genre. Died London. |
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Ross, Sir William Charles |
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Sabine, Wendy |
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| An artist local to Northfield………… | Source 4 |
Saunders |
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Seton, John Thomas c.1735-c.1806 |
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| Edinburgh painter of informal portraits and groups in the city 1772-75. In India 1776-85 and returned to Edinburgh 1786 a rich man from his painting. | Source 1 |
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Wilkinson, Rob. 1932- |
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| Born in Bedington on the Wirral. Rob is a self-taught artist and a distant relative of the late Norman Wilkinson from whom he initially drew much inspiration. Rob’s paintings will be found in private collections as far afield as Australia, North Africa, South America and the Continent. His artistic energies are now mainly devoted to running Painting Groups, and visiting groups throughout North Wales and Cheshire to run day workshops, including talks and demonstrations using watercolours, oils and occasionally, chalk pastels. | Source 4 |
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Williams, Hugh ‘Grecian’ 1773-1829 |
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Williams was born at sea, his father a Welsh sea captain, his mother the daughter of the Deputy Governor of Gibraltar. He lost both his parents when young and was brought up by his grandmother in Edinburgh. Attended DAVID ALLAN’S classes in Dickson Close and those of ALEXANDER NASMYTH in York Place, but it was the elegant penwork and roccoco colours of David Allan that had the greatest influence on Williams. During the 20 years before he went to
Greece in 1816, Williams painted many watercolours of Scotland, working
around Edinburgh and Glasgow, on Lochs Lomond and Ard, on the Isle of
Arran, in Argyllshire and on the East coast around Angus. From around 1810
Williams’ style began to broaden, possibly as a result of taking up oil
painting. He painted on the spot for smaller watercolours, although his
larger, more finished works would have been painted in the studio.
Williams’ colours often have a roccoco charm and he makes use of light
browns, pinks and powder-blues. In many works, he replaces the rugged
Scottish landscape with a vision of pastoral tranquillity and pastoral
elegance. Died Edinburgh. |
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Whitworth, Juliet 19xx- |
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| A Cumbrian based artist. See www.poppyendarts.co.uk | Source 4 |
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Wood, David 19xx- |
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| A Cumbrian artist……….. | Source 4 |
| Information Sources: | ||
| (1) | The Dictionary of Scottish Painters, 1600-1960. Paul Harris & Julian Halsby. | ISBN: 0-86241-328-1 |
| (2) | Miniatures. Dictionary and Guide. Daphne Foskett. | ISBN: 1-85149-063-9 |
| (3) | http://www.britisharts.co.uk/francis.htm | |
| (4) | Direct contact with Artist. | |
| (5) | Courtesy of David & Constance Yates | http://www.dcyates.com/medals/article.htm |
| (6) | Josiah Wedgewood & Sons Museum | |