(b Calais, 16 Apr. 1821; d London, 6 Oct. 1893). English painter. The son of a retired ship's purser, he spent his early life on the Continent; his training included a period with Wappers in Antwerp. In 1840–3 he lived in Paris, then settled in London in 1844; he visited Rome in 1845–6 and was impressed by the work of the Nazarenes. In 1848 he met Rossetti and through him became part of the Pre-Raphaelite circle; he was not a formal member of the Brotherhood, but he shared their beliefs that art should be true to nature and morally edifying. His Chaucer at the Court of Edward III (1851, AG of New South Wales, Sydney) contains portraits of several of the Brotherhood, and his best-known picture, The Last of England (1852–5, City AG, Birmingham), was inspired by the departure of Woolner, the Pre-Raphaelite sculptor, for Australia.

Text source: The Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists (Oxford University Press)


Do you know someone who would love this resource?
Tell them about it...