Louis Alexander Fagan

“ For many years under his sway the house in 14 Pall Mall East formed a well-known art centre, it being frequented by peers and members of parliament, so that the intermingling of politicians with artists and literary men gave the large room in the season the appearance of a club. Colnaghi's knowledge of prints and taste in art were very great. He had a European reputation, and was held in high esteem by collectors and officials. He was also a connoisseur in ancient armour, and was the original possessor of a large portion of the Meyrick collection. ”

“ In the spring of 1758 the Duke of Richmond opened a gratuitous school of design, allowing artists access to his gallery in Privy Garden, Whitehall, where numerous casts from the antique were exhibited, and offered premiums for the best drawings. The school of drawing was under the management of Cipriani, and the school of modelling under Wilton. This school of art was not of long duration. Cipriani was elected a member of St. Martin's Lane Academy, and on the institution of the Royal Academy he was nominated by the king as one of its members in 1768. ”

“ BOGDANI or BOGDANE, JAMES (d. 1720) , painter, was born in Hungary, the son of a deputy from the states of that country to the emperor. He received no professional training, but by the force of his natural abilities attained to a considerable degree of excellence as a painter of still-life and birds. He came at an early age to this country, where he was for some time known only as ‘The Hungarian.’ Queen Anne patronised him, and he made a fortune by the practice of his art ”

“ Cooper desired to have a portrait of this horse, but could not afford to pay for it, and when a friend remarked, ‘Why not try your own hand on old “Frolic”?’ Cooper set to work, and having finished a picture, he showed it to Sir Henry Meux, who not only purchased it, but became his friend and patron. He now began studying art by making careful copies of horses from engravings published in the ‘Sporting Magazine.’ These were drawn by Benjamin Marshall, to whom Cooper was introduced by his uncle Davis, the well-known equestrian. ”

“ Though laying itself open to some criticisms, the beauty and entire originality of the structure will some day gain it a place among the finest monuments of English nineteenth-century art. Cockerell likewise designed and carried out the building of several country mansions, and competed for the erection of the Houses of Parliament, the National Gallery, the London University, the Royal Exchange, and the Carlton and Reform Clubs. ”

“ He commenced the profession as a painter of flowers and fruit in water-colours, and first exhibited at the Royal Academy three flower pieces in 1812; at that time residing at 46 Sloane Square, Chelsea. He also exhibited in Suffolk Street and at the British Institution. His works were much admired, and in brilliancy and beauty of execution rivalled those of Van Huysum. Marrying at the age of twenty-seven, the requirements of a growing family compelled him to relinquish painting for the more lucrative occupation of teaching, and for many years he held a prominent position as a master. ”

“ A short time before his death Cockerell volunteered to have his name placed on the list of retired academicians. His portrait appears in the 'Illustrated London News' of 3 Oct. 1863, p. 341, and his effigy is appropriately placed on the Albert Memorial, Hyde Park, between Pugin and Barry; another portrait is in the rooms of the Institute of Architects. In all his buildings, so varied in their style and character, there is so much originality of design that they have established his reputation as an architect of the highest order. ”

“ CLINT, GEORGE (1770–1854) , portrait painter and engraver, born in Brownlow Street, Drury Lane, on 12 April 1770, was the son of Michael Clint, a hairdresser in Lombard Street. The youth, after receiving a plain education at a Yorkshire school, was apprenticed to a fishmonger, but on account of a quarrel with his master, who struck him, he sought protection of the lord mayor, and then found some employment in an attorney's office. His conscience, however, revolting against this work, he took to house-painting, and actually painted the stones of the arches in the nave of Westminster Abbey. ”

“ FAGAN, ROBERT (d. 1816) , diplomatist and amateur portrait-painter, was born at Cork about 1745. In the year 1809 he was appointed consul-general for Sicily and the Ionian Islands. For many years he resided in Rome, and between 1794 and 1798 he formed a magnificent collection of works of art, including several chefs-d'œuvre, formerly in the Altieri Palace, and a Greek marble of Alexander, which he presented to the Vatican Museum. ”

“ Paul having, in union with his elder brother, settled his father's affairs, left Italy soon afterwards to seek his fortune in France. After undergoing various vicissitudes he became the Paris agent of Signer Torre, the well-known London printseller of the day, with whom he finally entered into partnership, and the firm of Torre was merged in the house of Paul and Dominic Colnaghi & Co. He now became a naturalised Englishman, and married Maria Elizabeth Baker, who was a family connection of Captain Thomas Coram. ”

“ BROCKY, CHARLES (1807–1855) , portrait and subject painter, was born at Temeswar, in the Banat, Hungary. When between six and seven years of age he lost his mother. Her sister had married the manager of a company of strolling players, and Brocky's father, who had originally been a peasant, followed the theatrical party in the capacity of hairdresser. He had many difficulties and hardships to contend against in his youth, but succeeded in obtaining some instruction in art at a free drawing-school at Vienna, and afterwards studied in the Louvre at Paris. ”

“ DEVEY, GEORGE (1820–1886) , architect, was born in London in 1820, travelled in Italy and Greece, and the experience he thus acquired, joined to his artistic talents, aided him considerably in making designs for country houses. He was principally known by the successful manner in which he added to and altered many of the English mansions. ”

“ In 1757 he was awarded a premium by the Society of Arts. In the art of mezzotint engraving Earlom was his own instructor. His plates show great technical skill, especially those of flowers after Van Huysum, and are highly valued by the connoisseurs. They were produced in a style of engraving which till then had never been thought capable of representing the delicate texture of flowers. Earlom was not less successful in his engravings in the chalk manner. ”

“ In the course of time he took to water-colour drawing, made several medals, and published a work entitled ‘Gems selected from the Antique,’ with illustrations, 4to, London, 1804, with plates designed and engraved by him. This brought his name before the public, and led to his illustrations to ‘Flim-flams,’ a work of the elder D'Israeli. As all these pursuits did not yield him a living, he accepted an engagement as drawing master in a lady's school at Doncaster. ”

“ Charles Edwards of Bridgham Hall, Norfolk, was educated at Dedham, Essex, under Dr. Taylor. Early in life he studied law, and gave up a large and successful practice as an examining proctor in the admiralty and prerogative courts in order to follow his tastes as an artist. As a lawyer be wrote an 'Abridgment of Cases in the Prerogative Court;' 'A Treatise on the Jurisdiction of the High Court of Admiralty;' and 'Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, a Sketch,' 1833. From 1860 Edwards devoted all his time and energy to art. ”

“ FORREST, ROBERT (1789?–1852) , sculptor, was born in 1788 or 1789 at Carluke, Lanarkshire. He was an entirely self-taught artist, and was brought up as a stone-mason in the quarries of Clydesdale. His first public work was the statue of the ‘Wallace wight’ which occupies a niche in the steeple of Lanark parish church, and was erected in 1817. He was subsequently employed to cut the colossal figure of the first Viscount Melville which surmounts the pillar in the centre of St. Andrew Square, Edinburgh, and he was also the sculptor of the statue of John Knox in the necropolis of Glasgow. ”

“ His father, a native of Wicklow, came over to England and settled in London, supporting his family by his literary talents. Among other works he wrote a poem on the slave trade, and a memoir of George Morland. Young Collins, when a child, stood by Morland’s easel, and showed so great an aptitude for art, that his father expected ‘to see poor Bill an R.A.’ In 1807 he entered, at the same time with Etty, the schools of the Royal Academy, and sent two small landscapes, both of them views near Millbank. ”

“ BLAKEY, NICHOLAS (fl. 1753) , designer and engraver, was a native of Ireland, but resided chiefly in Paris, and died there. The dates of his birth and death are not recorded. He enjoyed a considerable reputation about the middle of the last century as an illustrator of books, and, amongst other works, designed and engraved the plates to Jonas Hanway's 'Travels in Persia,' 1753, and those to an edition of Pope's works. ”

“ His best known portrait is that of William Pitt, first earl of Chatham, in which the great statesman is represented half-length, in peer's robes, standing with his right hand raised to his breast and his left arm extended. ”

“ In 1681 he came to England, and painted draperies for John Riley, at whose death, in 1691, Closterman finished several of his portraits. This recommended him to the Duke of Somerset, but he lost his favour on account of a dispute about a picture of Guercino, specially acquired for his grace, and which was afterwards purchased by Lord Halifax. In 1696 he was invited to the court of Spain, and executed the portraits of the king and queen; he also went to Italy twice, and made several acquisitions of works of art. ”

“ BOYNE, JOHN (d. 1810) , water-colour painter, caricaturist, and engraver, was born in county Down, Ireland, between 1750 and 1759. His father was originally a joiner by trade, but afterwards held for many years an appointment at the victualling office at Deptford. Boyne was brought to England when about nine years of age, and subsequently articled to William Byrne, the landscape-engraver. His master dying just at the expiration of his apprenticeship, he made an attempt to carry on the business himself, but being idle and dissipated in his habits, he was unsuccessful. ”

“ In 1859 he painted for Trinity House a portrait of the prince consort, wearing the robes of master of the corporation. He excelled in the portrayal of female beauty, and many of his works of that class were engraved in the publications of the day. He exhibited at the Royal Academy altogether eighty-six portraits. In 1851 he was elected an associate of the academy, and in 1863 a full academician. ”

“ BROOKSHAW, RICHARD (fl. 1804) , mezzotint engraver, was for some years chiefly employed at low remuneration in engraving reduced copies from popular prints by MacArdell, Watson, and others; then going to Paris he established himself in the 'Rue de Tournon, vis-à-vis l'Hôtel de Nivernois, chez le Bourrelier,' and in 1773 published a pair of portraits of the dauphin, afterwards Louis XVI, and Marie-Antoinette. ”

“ BURGHERS, MICHAEL (d. 1727) , a Dutch engraver and draughtman, came to England when young, and settled at Oxford. He engraved the print in the ‘University Almanac’ for 1676, and most of those which followed it up to 1720. He made many small views of buildings at Queen's College and Christ Church. ”

“ He never married. A sister lived with him during the greatest part of his life, and survived him. One of his latest works was an engraving of his own portrait by Mr. Long (1883) . He was also painted by Mr. Frank Holl in 1879, and etched by M. Waltner. In January and March 1872 Cousins deposited in the department of prints and drawings, British Museum, an almost complete set of his engravings, and presented a small set to the Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter. He also gave about that period 15,000l. to the Royal Academy in trust for the benefit of deserving and poor artists. ”

“ BRYAN, MICHAEL (1757–1821) , connoisseur, was born at Newcastle-on-Tyne on 9 April 1757, and was educated at the grammar school of that town under Dr. Moyce. In 1781 he first visited London, whence he accompanied his elder brother to Flanders, where he became acquainted with, and afterwards married, the sister of the Earl of Shrewsbury. In Flanders he continued to reside, with the exception of occasional visits to England, until 1790, when he finally left the Low Countries and settled in London. In 1793 or 1794 Bryan again went to the continent in search of fine pictures. ”

“ When young he became a student in the Royal Academy of Arts. Having in his early career attracted the notice of the Prince of Wales, he received, at the age of nineteen, through the prince's favour, a commission in the 90th regiment, which, however, he resigned in order to marry and settle in London. ”

“ DIXON, JOHN (d. 1715) , miniature and crayon painter, a pupil of Sir Peter Lely, was appointed by William III ‘keeper of the king's picture closet,’ and in 1698 was concerned in a bubble lottery. The whole sum was to be 40,000l., divided into 1,214 prizes, the highest prize in money 3,000l., the lowest 20l. This affair turned out a great failure, and Dixon, falling in debt, removed for security from St. Martin's Lane, where he lived, to King's Bench Walk in the Temple, and afterwards to a small estate at Thwaite, near Bungay in Suffolk, where he died in 1715. ”

“ At an early age he displayed a decided predilection and talent for drawing. Mr. George Doo, the engraver, having been struck by Duffield's highly elaborated pen-and-ink sketches and faithful copies of his engravings, offered to take him as his pupil without a premium. ”

“ He was a member of various learned and scientific societies, the Alpine Club, honorary associate of the Institute of British Architects, of the Royal Academy of Stockholm, and of the Accademia delle Belle Arti, Venice. ”