A biographical and critical dictionary of recent and living painters and engravers / by Henry Ottley.

  • Henry Ottley
Date:
1875
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A biographical and critical dictionary of recent and living painters and engravers / by Henry Ottley. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    pEsn] the middle of the night for Baron Den on, who occupied the post of Director General oi the Imperial Museums, and desired him to order M. Desnoyer forthwith to produce an official portrait of Marie Louise, the only indications for which were compromised in these few words—“ Round head, fair hair, high forehead.” At the end of four days Baron Denon was enabled to send a proof of the proposed portrait to the Emperor, who, well pleased with it, ordered its immediate publication. The plate was accordingly sent to the printers, and twenty impressions of it had been issued, when a messenger from the Tuilleries brought to the engraver an authentic miniature of Marie Louise. He now immediately retouched the head by this model, leaving the rest of the figure as it was, and on the following day thou- sands of copies of it were spread all over Paris. In 1834 M. Desnoyer painted for the Ecole des Beaux Arts eight copies in oil, and five large water-colour drawings, two miniatures, and four male portraits, after Raphael. He was elected a member of the Institute in 1816 ; was appointed first Engraver to the King in 1825, and received the title of Baron in 1828, and the Cross of the Legion of Honour in 1835. He died at Paris on the 15th February, 1857. DESPRES. Louis John, painter and archi- tect, born at Lyons in 1740, and died at Stock- holm, where he had resided the greater part of his life. Having already produced one or two works in Paris, he went to Rome, where he as- sisted in the production of the ‘ Aoyage Pittor- esque de Naples,’ published by the Abbe de Saint-Non. Gustavus III. of Sweden having met with him in Italy, took him to Stockholm, where he employed him to put up the scenery and decorations for the opera of Gustavus Vasa, which he did on a grand scale. The war which broke out between Russia and Sweden afforded him subjects for several battle-pieces,’ amongst the rest that of Suenksund. He had many pupils, and left behind him a large number of sketches, amongst others, of ‘ Costumes of Swe- den,’ which have been engraved. DE AVINT, P. This eminent water-colour painter was born in 1784. For the long period of nearly forty years the numerous drawings of Mr. De AVint formed one of the most attractive features in the exhibitions of the Old Society of Painters in AVater-Colours ; his subjects for the most part being of that class which is sure to find favour with the frequenters of a gallery of Eng- lish pictures, and the lovers of English land- scape scenery. Green meadows, cornfields, hay- fields, stacks, and ricks, were the themes wherein his pencil delighted, and these he portrayed with such truthfulness and fidelity, and at the same time with such artistic feeling, as could not fail to win for him popularity in the eyes of all who can relish the simplicity of nature and the quiet enjoyment of rural occupation. AVe know not whether he was a native of Lincoln, but cer- tainly the flat yet picturesque scenery of its neighbourhood possessed peculiar attractions for him; for we scarcely remember an exhibition which was not graced by some half-dozen views taken from its vicinity, far and near. Air. De AVint’s style was unquestionably his own, and he appears to have deviated little or nothing from that he had, in his earliest practice, laid down as his rule. He essentially belonged to the old school, carefully eschewing all the improvements in the use of body-colours, &c., which the younger painters of our day have thought fit to introduce into their works, on the plea, it may be presumed, that the end justifies the means, and that so long as the end is attained, it matters little through what medium it is reached. If the subjects of Mr. De AVint’s pencil were simple, his manner of treating them was simple also ; his handling was free and masterly, devoid of all affectation, and appealing at once to the judgment ol the critic, and to the uninitiated by its truth. He died at his residence in Upper Gower Street in June, 1849. D’HEUR, Coenelius JosEPn. This painter of history and interiors, was born at Antwerp in March, 1707. In his tenth year he entered the studio of Gaspard van Opstal, the younger, and on the death of the latter shortly afterwards, put himself under John Joseph Horrmans, the elder. He afterwards received some instruction from Peter Snyers. In 1730 he went to Paris, where he carried awTay successively the silver medals of the third, second, and first class. The date of his return to his native city is uncertain ; but in 1756 he was appointed one of thq, six directors of the Academy of Fine Arts there ; where lie gave, gratuitously, lessons in geometry, architecture, and perspective. He died in Alarch, 1762. In the Museum at Antwerp are two paintings in grisaille, of the arms of the Abbey of St. Ali- chael, and of James Thomas, 50th abbot of that fraternity ; and in the same vehicle three bas-re- liefs, representing Prudence, Justice, and Power, also a picture illustrative of Teaching Perspec- tive, signed and dated 1761. DIGHTON, Denis, son of the celebrated cari- caturist of Charing Cross, was born in London, in 1792. AVhen young, he became a student in the Royal Academy of Arts. Having in his juven- ile career attracted the notice of the Prince of AVales, at the age of nineteen he received, through the prince’s favour, a commission in the 90th regiment, which, however, he resigned, in order to marry and settle in London. He was ap- pointed military draughtsman to the prince, and occasionally made professional excursions abroad by desire of his royal highness, who during some years purchased nearly every picture that lie pro- duced. A change, however, afterwards took place in the prince’s household, (Sir Benjamin Bloomfield being succeeded by Sir AVilliam Knighton), by which he became less accessible than heretofore to the young artist, which event, combined with other adverse professional circum- stances, by degrees affected his reason ; when with his wife and son, he went into retirement at St. Servant, in Brittany, when he died on the 8th August, 1827, aged 35. DOBSON, AVilliam Charles Thomas. This artist was born at Hamburg in the year 1817, being of English parentage on the male side only. His father, John Dobson, was for many years a merchant in the above-named city; but, having suffered severe losses, returned to London with his family about the year 1826. The subject of our memoir had from earliest childhood evinced a great taste for drawing, which his friends, fortunately, en- couraged. He commenced his studies from the antique in the British Museum, about the year 1831, and was admitted a student of the Royal
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