Robert Freebairn (1765 – 23 January 1808 in
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
) was a British
landscape painter.
Life
Freebairn was born in 1765, apparently of Scottish descent, and is usually stated to have been the last pupil of
Richard Wilson, R.A. This does not seem certain, as Freebairn was articled to
Philip Reinagle, R.A., and it was from Reinagle's house that he sent his first picture to 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 ...
in 1782, the year of Wilson's death. He continued to exhibit landscapes up to 1786, when he appears to have gone to Italy. In 1789 and 1790 he was at Rome, and sent views of Roman scenery to the academy. In 1791 he sent two views of the "
Viamala
Viamala or Via Mala (Romansh language, Romansh: literally, "bad path") is a narrow canyon, gorge along the river Hinterrhein (river), Hinterrhein between Zillis-Reischen and Thusis in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland, as well as the an ...
" in the
Grisons
The Grisons (; ) or Graubünden (),Names include:
* ;
*Romansh language, Romansh:
**
**
**
**
**
**;
* ;
* ;
* .
See also list of European regions with alternative names#G, other names. more formally the Canton of the Grisons or the Canton ...
, probably taken on his return journey. His stay in Italy formed his style, and he brought back to England a storehouse of material, on which he drew plentifully during the remainder of his life, his productions being mainly representations of Italian scenery.
[''Dictionary of National Biography'' 1885–1900.]
When in Italy he was patronised by
Lord Clive, and on his return to England by
Lord Suffolk,
John Penn of Stoke, and others. His compositions were noted for their elegance rather than for grandeur, and were pleasing enough to enable him to secure sufficient patronage and commissions for his pictures, most of which he exhibited at the Royal Academy. He occasionally painted views of Welsh and Lancashire scenery, but his chief excellence lay in his Roman subjects. Some of his drawings were published in
aquatint
Aquatint is an intaglio printmaking technique, a variant of etching that produces areas of tone rather than lines. For this reason it has mostly been used in conjunction with etching, to give both lines and shaded tone. It has also been used ...
.
Freebairn died in Buckingham Place,
New Road,
Marylebone
Marylebone (usually , also ) is an area in London, England, and is located in the City of Westminster. It is in Central London and part of the West End. Oxford Street forms its southern boundary.
An ancient parish and latterly a metropo ...
, aged 42, leaving a widow and four children. After his death there was published in 1815 a volume called ''Outlines of Lancashire Scenery, from an unpublished Sketch-book of the late R. Freebairn, designed as studies for the use of schools and beginners, and etched by the younger Freebairn''
.e. Albert Robert Freebairn
References
Sources
External links
Works by Robert Freebairn at Arcadja Auctions
{{DEFAULTSORT:Freebairn, Robert
1765 births
1808 deaths
Scottish landscape painters