Sir Augustus Wall Callcott (20 February 177925 November 1844) was an English landscape painter.

Life and work

Callcott was born at Kensington Gravel Pits, a village on the western edge of London, in the area now known as Notting Hill Gate. His first study was music and he sang for several years in the choir of

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British m ...

. But at the age of twenty he had determined to give up music, became a student of the

Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...

, and began his artistic career as a painter of portraits under the tuition of

John Hoppner John Hoppner (4 April 175823 January 1810) was an English portrait painter, much influenced by Joshua Reynolds, who achieved fame as a colourist. Early life Hoppner was born in Whitechapel, London, the son of German parents – his mother w ...

. The first picture he exhibited was a portrait of ''Miss Roberts'', and its success at the Royal Academy in 1799 is said to have led to his final choice of painting as a profession. His preference for landscape, including river and coast scenery, soon showed itself, and after 1804 he exhibited nothing but landscapes for many years. The skill of his execution, the elegance of his design, and the charming tone of his works caused his reputation to rise steadily. In 1806 he was elected an associate of the Royal Academy, and in 1810 a full Academician. The care which he bestowed upon his pictures restricted their number. From 1805 to 1810 he exhibited about four pictures a year, in 1811 ten pictures, and in 1812, six. From that year to 1822 he exhibited only seven works in all, but among these were some of his best and largest, such as ''The Entrance to the Pool of London'' (1816), ''The Mouth of the Tyne'' (1818), and ''A Dead Calm on the Medway'' (1820). Another important picture was ''Rochester'' (1824). Though his subjects down to this time were generally taken from the scenery of his own country, he had visited

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

and the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

and had painted some Dutch and Flemish scenes before 1827, the year he married and went to

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

for the first time. His wife, Maria Graham, the widow of Captain Graham, R.N., had already attained considerable literary reputation. On their return from Italy they took up their residence at Kensington Gravel Pits, where he lived until his death, enjoying great popularity. In 1830 he began to exhibit Italian compositions, and after this year the subjects of his pictures were generally foreign. Though to the last his works were marked by charm of composition and sweetness of execution, those produced before 1827 are now held in most esteem. On the accession of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

in 1837, Callcott received the honour of knighthood. In that year he departed from his usual class of subjects, and exhibited a picture of ''Raffaelle and the Fornarina'', with life-size figures, finished with great care, which was engraved by Lumb Stocks for the Art Union of London in 1843. This and ''Milton dictating to his Daughters'', exhibited in 1840, were the most important of his figure paintings, of which rare class of his work the South Kensington Museum (Sheepshanks Collection) (now the

Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (abbreviated V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.8 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and named after Queen ...

) contains two specimens, ''Anne Page and Slender'' and ''Falstaff and Simple''. The museum also possesses several landscapes in oil and sketches in watercolour, etc. The figures in his landscapes were often important parts of the composition, and were always gracefully designed and happily placed, as, for instance, in ''Dutch Peasants returning from Market''. In 1843 Callcott succeeded William Seguier as Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures. He died on 25 November 1844 and was buried in

Kensal Green cemetery Kensal Green Cemetery is a cemetery in the Kensal Green area of North Kensington in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in London, England. Inspired by Père Lachaise Cemetery in P ...

. There are qualities in Callcott's work which gained the admiration of J. M. W. Turner and

Thomas Stothard Thomas Stothard (17 August 1755 – 27 April 1834) was a British painter, illustrator and engraver. His son, Robert T. Stothard was a painter (floruit, fl. 1810): he painted the proclamation outside York Minster of Queen Victoria's accession to ...

in his day. He was generous in his patronage of younger artists.

Family

His wife, Maria, was a writer on art and travel. His brother, John Wall Callcott, was a noted composer. File:Windsor from Eton by Augustus Wall Callcott.jpg, '' Windsor from Eton'', 1809 File:Sir Augustus Wall Callcott - A View of Richmond Bridge, on the Thames - Google Art Project.jpg, ''A View of Richmond Bridge, on the Thames'', c.1810 File:Sir Augustus Wall Callcott (1779-1844) - A Scene near Capel-Curig, North Wales - RCIN 406292 - Royal Collection.jpg, ''A Scene near Capel-Curig, North Wales'', 1811 File:Augustus Wall Callcott (1779-1844) - Littlehampton Pier - N00345 - National Gallery.jpg, '' Littlehampton Pier'', 1812 File:Augustus Wall Calcott, Pool of London.jpg, ''Pool of London'', 1816 File:Smugglers Alarmed.png, '' Smugglers Alarmed'', 1822 File:Rochester (Wall Callcott).png, ''Rochester'', 1824 File:British School - Greenwich from Blackwall Reach - BHC1809 - Royal Museums Greenwich.jpg, ''Greenwich from Blackwall Reach'', 1830 File:Augustus Wall Callcott (1779-1844) - Dutch Coast Scene - N00341 - National Gallery.jpg, ''Dutch Coast Scene'', 1832 File:Augustus Wall Callcott (1779-1844) - Entrance to Pisa from Leghorn - N00346 - National Gallery.jpg, '' Entrance to Pisa from Leghorn'', 1833 File:'Returning from Market', oil painting by Augustus Wall Callcott, c. 1834, Tate.jpg, ''Returning from Market'', 1834 File:Augustus Wall Callcott (1779-1844) - Dutch Peasants Waiting the Return of the Passage Boat - N00347 - National Gallery.jpg, ''Dutch Peasants Waiting the Return of the Passage Boat'', 1834 File:Augustus Wall Callcott (1779-1844) - On an Italian Lake (Garda^) - 830814 - National Trust.jpg, ''On an Italian Lake'', 1835 File:On the Tiber by Augustus Wall Callcott.jpg, ''On the Tiber'', 1840

References

External links

*
A W Callcott online
(ArtCyclopedia)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Callcott, Augustus Wall 18th-century English painters English male painters 19th-century English painters English landscape painters Royal Academicians 1779 births 1844 deaths Painters from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea People from Kensington Burials at Kensal Green Cemetery Surveyors of the King's Pictures Knights Bachelor 19th-century English male artists 18th-century English male artists