Charles Landseer (12 August 1799 – 22 July 1879) was an English painter, mostly of historical subjects.

Life

Charles Landseer Cromwell Battle of Naseby

He was born in London on 12 August 1799, the second son of the engraver John Landseer, and the elder brother of the animal painter, Sir

Edwin Landseer Sir Edwin Henry Landseer (7 March 1802 – 1 October 1873) was an English painter and sculptor, well known for his paintings of animals – particularly horses, dogs, and stags. His best-known work is the lion sculptures at the base of Nelso ...

. He trained under his father, and the painter

Benjamin Robert Haydon Benjamin Robert Haydon (; 26 January 178622 June 1846) was a British painter who specialised in grand historical pictures, although he also painted a few contemporary subjects and portraits. His commercial success was damaged by his often tactle ...

. He was awarded the silver palette of the

Royal Society of Arts The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, commonly known as the Royal Society of Arts (RSA), is a learned society that champions innovation and progress across a multitude of sectors by fostering creativity, s ...

for a drawing of ''Laocoon'' in 1815, and in 1816 he entered 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 ...

Schools where he was taught by

Henry Fuseli Henry Fuseli ( ; ; 7 February 1741 – 17 April 1825) was a Swiss painter, draughtsman, and writer on art who spent much of his life in Britain. Many of his successful works depict supernatural experiences, such as '' The Nightmare''. He pr ...

. In 1823 he accompanied Sir Charles Stuart de Rothesay on a diplomatic mission to Portugal and Brazil. Many of the drawings he made on the journey were shown at the

British Institution The British Institution (in full, the British Institution for Promoting the Fine Arts in the United Kingdom; founded 1805, disbanded 1867) was a private 19th-century society in London formed to exhibit the works of living and dead artists; it ...

in 1828. He became an associate in of the

in 1837, and a full academician in 1845. In 1851, he was appointed Keeper of the Royal Academy, a post requiring him to teach in the "Antique School". He remained in the position until 1873. Most of his pictures were of subjects from British history, or from literature. He paid close attention to the historical accuracy of the accessories and details in his paintings. His works included ''The Meeting of Charles I. and his Adherents before the Battle of Edgehill'', '' Clarissa Harlowe in the Prison Room of the Sheriff's Office'' (1833, now in the collection of the

Tate Gallery Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the UK ...

), ''The Pillaging of a Jew's House in the Reign of Richard I'' (1839, Tate Gallery) and ''The Temptation of Andrew Marvel'' (1841). While under Haydon's instruction he also made a series of detailed

anatomical Anatomy () is the branch of morphology concerned with the study of the internal structure of organisms and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. It is an old scien ...

drawings. He died in London on 22 July 1879, leaving 10,000 guineas to the Royal Academy to fund scholarships.

Gallery

File:Charles Landseer - The Eve of the Battle of Edge Hill, 1642 - Google Art Project.jpg, '' The Eve of the Battle of Edgehill'', 1845

References

External links

* A portrait of , engraved by James Thomson for Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1833 with a poetical illustration by

Letitia Elizabeth Landon Letitia Elizabeth Landon (14 August 1802 – 15 October 1838) was an English poet and novelist, better known by her initials L.E.L. Landon's writings are emblematic of the transition from Romanticism to Victorian literature. Her first major b ...

. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Landseer, Charles Royal Academicians 1799 births 1879 deaths 19th-century English painters English male painters 19th-century English male artists