Samuel Prout painted by John Jackson in 1831 Market Day by Samuel Prout A View in Nuremberg by Samuel Prout Utrecht Town Hall by Samuel Prout in 1841 Rialto Bridge Venice by Samuel Prout

Samuel Prout (; 17 September 1783 – 10 February 1852) was a British watercolourist, and one of the masters of

watercolour Watercolor (American English) or watercolour ( Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), also ''aquarelle'' (; from Italian diminutive of Latin 'water'), is a painting method"Watercolor may be as old as art itself, going back to the ...

architectural painting. Prout secured the position of Painter in Water-Colours in Ordinary to

King George IV George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 29 January 1820 until his death in 1830. At the time of his accession to the throne, h ...

in 1829 and afterwards to

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 ...

John Ruskin John Ruskin (8 February 1819 20 January 1900) was an English polymath a writer, lecturer, art historian, art critic, draughtsman and philanthropist of the Victorian era. He wrote on subjects as varied as art, architecture, Critique of politic ...

, whose work often emulated Prout's, wrote in 1844, "Sometimes I tire of Turner, but never of Prout". Prout is often compared to his contemporaries: Turner, Constable and Ruskin, whom he taught. He was the uncle of the artist John Skinner Prout.

Biography

Samuel Prout was born at

Plymouth Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...

, the fourth of fourteen children born to Samuel Prout Senior, a naval outfitter in the dockyard city, and Mary Cater.See Lockett. ''Samuel Prout (1783–1852)''. Attending Plymouth Grammar School, he came under the influence of its

schoolmaster A schoolmaster, or simply master, is a male school teacher. The usage first occurred in England in the Late Middle Ages and early modern period. At that time, most schools were one-room or two-room schools and had only one or two such teacher ...

, John Bidlake, who encouraged the young Prout and

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 ...

in their artistic apprenticeship. They spent whole summer days drawing the quiet cottages, rustic bridges and romantic watermills of the beautiful valleys of

Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...

. With John Britton, he made a journey through

Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...

to try his hand in furnishing sketches for Britton's ''Beauties of England''. In 1803, he moved to

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 ...

, where he stayed until 1812. Marrying Elizabeth Gillespie in 1810, they had four children; Rebecca Elizabeth (b. 1813), Elizabeth Delsey (b. 1817), Isabella Anne (b. 1820), and Samuel Gllespie (b. 1822). In London, Prout saw new possibilities, and endeavoured to correct and improve his style by studying the works of the rising school of

landscape A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or human-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes th ...

. To earn a living, he painted marine pieces for Palser the printseller, took students, and published drawing books for learners. He was one of the first to use

lithography Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the miscibility, immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by ...

. It was not however until about 1818 that Prout discovered his niche. Happening time to make his first visit to the Continent, and to study the quaint streets and market-places of continental cities, he suddenly found himself in a new and enchanting province of art. His eye caught the picturesque features of the architecture, and his hand recorded them with skill. The composition of his drawings was exquisitely natural; their colour exhibited "the truest and happiest association in sun and shade"; the picturesque remnants of ancient architecture were rendered with the happiest breadth and largeness, with the heartiest perception and enjoyment of their time-worn ruggedness; and the solemnity of great cathedrals was brought out with striking effect. He established his reputation with these street scenes, and gained praise from his erstwhile student

. Until Prout, says Ruskin, excessive and clumsy artificiality characterized the picturesque: what ruins early artists drew "looked as if broken down on purpose; what weeds they put on seemed put on for ornament". To Prout, therefore, goes credit for the creation of the essential characteristics lacking in earlier art, in particular "that feeling which results from the influence, among the noble lines of architecture, of the rent and the rust, the fissure, the lichen, and the weed, and from the writings upon the pages of ancient walls of the confused hieroglyphics of human history". Prout, in other words, does not unfeelingly depict signs of age and decay chiefly for the sake of interesting textures, but rather employs these textures and other characteristics of the picturesque to create deeply felt impressions of age nobly endured. Though they are often compared, neither Turner nor Prout were vulgar artists, and while Turner concentrated upon the infinite beauties of nature, Prout was more interested by the cityscape. Prout was appointed the coveted title of 'Painter in Water-Colours in Ordinary' to

in 1829, and afterwards to

. At the time of his death there was hardly a place in

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 ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

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 ...

(especially

Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

) or 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 ...

where his face had not been seen searching for antique gables and sculptured pieces of stone. He died after a

stroke Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...

at his home, 5 De Crespigny Terrace, Denmark Hill,

and was buried at West Norwood Cemetery. A large quantity of his original sketchbooks, lithographs, account books, letters and family materials are held at the North Devon Athenaeum,

Barnstaple Barnstaple ( or ) is a river-port town and civil parish in the North Devon district of Devon, England. The town lies at the River Taw's lowest crossing point before the Bristol Channel. From the 14th century, it was licensed to export wool from ...

, Devon. The collection was sold at auction in 2010, and much was acquired by Plymouth City Museum & Art Gallery, adding to its existing holdings of his work. Samuel Gillespie Prout followed in his father's footsteps by also painting watercolours. his nephew was the composer Ebenezer Prout.Henry Davey, revised by Anne Pimlott Baker. 'Prout, Ebenezer'
in ''The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (2004) Another member of the family, John Skinner Prout made a career for himself painting and writing books in

Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...

References

External links

Samuel Prout at the Tate Gallery, London

Samuel Prout at The Louvre, Paris

''Sketches by Samuel Prout: in France, Belgium, Germany, Italy and Switzerland''
1915
Gainsborough to Ruskin Exhibition at the Morgan, New York

Samuel Prout at the Manchester Art Gallery, UK

Samuel Prout at the National Gallery of Art, Washington DC

Samuel Prout in Tate exhibition "Ruskin, Turner and the Pre-Raphaelites"Samuel Prout
a
Open Library
* Paintings engraved for Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Books with poetical illustrations by Letitia Elizabeth Landon: *:1832, engraved by William John Cook, *:1832, engraved by Robert Wallis , *:1833, engraved by R Sands, *:1833, engraved by William Joseph Taylor, *:1833, engraved by E Challis, *:1833, engraved by R Sands, *:1833, engraved by William Woolnoth, *:1837, engraved by William Miller, *:1837, engraved by Edward Francis Finden, *:1837, engraved by James Carter, *:1838, engraved by Ebenezer Challis, *:1838, engraved by Robert Wallis, *:1838, engraved by James Baylis Allen, * In Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1834, as illustrations to Letitia Elizabeth Landon's poem : :* ''Ruins, Old Delhi'', engraved by S Lacey. :* ''Excavated Temple of Kylas, Ellora'', engraved by E Challis. :* ''Bejapore'', engraved by T Jeavons. :* ''Taj Bowlee, Bejapore'', engraved by J Redaway. :* ''Tomb of Shere Shah'', engraved by W A LePetit. * In Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1834, as illustrations to Letitia Elizabeth Landon's poem : :* ''Triad Figure, Interior of Elephanta'' engraved by William Woolnoth. :* ''Cawnpore'' engraved by C Mottram. {{DEFAULTSORT:Prout, Samuel 1783 births 1852 deaths 19th-century English painters English male painters Artists from Plymouth, Devon Burials at West Norwood Cemetery English watercolourists 19th-century English male artists People educated at Plymouth Grammar School

Biography

References

Further reading

External links