Famous British Painters

William Hogarth 

William Hogarth (1697-1764), was a great English painter and engraver, who is famous for his portrayals of human weaknesses. He was born in London. His father was a schoolmaster. From childhood, Hogarth showed a talent for drawing. He was apprenticed to a silverplate engraver until 1720 when he went into his own business as an engraver. He also studied painting at the school of Sir James Thornhill, and in 1729 he married Thornhill's daughter.

Hogarth's earliest works include series of six paintings for which he first became famous. It was «The Harlot's Progress», completed in 1731. This was followed by two other series, «А Rake's Progress», eight paintings and Marriage a la Mode», six paintings. He made engravings of all these.

In all his paintings Hogarth tried to do the same things. He wanted his paintings to be like a play. Instead of actors speaking parts on a stage, he wanted his paintings to be his stage and the men and women he drew to be his actors and to tell a story. He tried to have them tell their story by certain actions and movements. Although he is often humorous in the way in which he drew things, he never softened or made his schooleds pleasant if they were not so.

Because these pictures are special in a way, at times Hogarth's talent as a fine portrait painter has been overlooked. His portraits show the same harmony in colour, direct handling of schooled, and excellent composition as his storytelling pictures. Some of his more famous portraits are of Peg Woffington, himself with his dog Trump, his sister Mary Hogarth and also those of Lavinia Fenton and of David Garrick, a famous English actor.

Most of Hogarth's pictures can be seen in the National Gallery in London.

Joshua Reynolds Sir Joshua Reynolds is a famous English painter and portraitist. He was born in 1732 in Plimpton county in pastor’s family. From the early ages he was interested in arts. He read classic literature, drew, tried to copy engravings. Initially his parents wanted him to become a physician, but they changed their mind when saw his abilities. At the age of 9 he entered the Thomas Hudson studio in London. He was studying there only for 3 years and finally decided to go back to Plimpton.

Later he starts his own workshop in his hometown. But yet he feels the lack of skill and goes to London. In the capital of GB Joshua gets knowledge from representatives of the old school artists, then tries to paint in his own independent style.

At the age of 17 Reynolds starts his journey round the Europe. He made his dream come true with the help of his friend, Augustus Keppel, a sailor, who was ordered to sail to Mediterranean Sea, and offered a young artist to go with him. Firstly, Joshua visited Menorca, one of the islands near the coast of Spain, then he went to Rome. There he studied ancient Greek and Roman sculpture and Italian painting for several years. Also the artist was living in Paris for about a month. In age of 21 Reynolds finally moves to London. There he becomes a very popular portraitist. Some of his works are kept in museums of GB, German, Spain, Russia.

After 1760 one can notice a classic style in his paintings. 8 years later he was elected as the president of the Royal Academy till the end of his life.

Joshua was successful not only at arts. At the age of 42 years he becomes a Doctor of Law at the University of Oxford. From that moment the most productive period of his life has begun. Reynolds keeps painting beautiful women and children and becomes interested in mythology.

At the age of 49 he goes to Germany and Holland, two years later he visits Flanders. A year later Reynolds was appointed court painter for the King of England. At age of 57 the health began to leave the artist. Joshua Reynolds becomes blind for one eye. At the age of 60 a great portraitist, artist, speaker and a great man died.

Thomas Gainsborough

Thomas Gainsborough was a master of English school of painting. He was a portraitist and a landscape painter. He was born in Sudbury in 1727 and was the son of a merchant. His father sent him to London to study arts. He spent 8 years working and studying in London. There he got acquainted with the Flemish traditional school of painting.

In his portraits green and blue colours predominate. He was the first British painter who painted British native countryside. He painted a wagon of hay, a poor cottage, poor peasants. His works of landscape contain much poetry and music. His best works are "Blue Boy", "The Portrait of the Duchess of Beaufort", "Sara Siddons" and others.

The particular discovery of Gainsborough was the creation of a form of art in which the characters and the background form a single unity. The landscape is not kept in the background, but in most cases man and nature are fused in a single whole through the atmospheric harmony of mood. Gainsborough emphasized that the natural background for his characters should be nature itself.

His works, painted in clear and transparent tones, had a considerable influence on the artists of the English school. He was in advance of his time. His art became a forerunner of the Romantic Movement.

John Constable John Constable, one of the greatest landscape painters, was born in Sufford, on June 11, 1776. He was the son of a wealthy miller. He began to take interest in landscape painting while he was at grammar school. His father did not favour art as a profession. As a boy Constable worked almost secretly, painting in the cottage of an amateur painter. His keen artistic interest was such that his father allowed him to go to London in 1795, where he began to study painting. In 1799 Constable entered the Royal Academy School in London.

He was the first landscape painter who considered that every painter should make his sketches direct from nature, that is, working in the open air. Constable's art developed slowly. He tried to earn his living by portraits. His heart was never in this and he achieved no popularity. Constable was a realist. He put into his landscape cattle, horses, the people working there. He put the smiling meadows, the sparkle of the sun on rain, or the stormy and uncertain clouds.

The most notable works of Constable are "Flatford Mill", "The White Horse", "The Hay Wain", "Waterloo Bridge", "From Whitehall stairs" and others.

In England Constable never received the recognition that he felt he was due. The French were the first to acclaim Constable publicly. His influence upon foreign painting schools has been powerful. Constable may truly be considered the father of modern landscape painting.

Joseph Turner Joseph Turner, the greatest English romantic landscape painter, was born in Covent Garden, London, on the 23rd of April in 1775. He was the son of a fashionable barber. He started drawing and painting as a small boy. His father used to sell the boy's drawings to his customers. In such a way he earned money which his father paid for his lessons in art. At the age of 14 he entered the Royal Academy School.

His water-colours were exhibited at the Royal Academy from the time he was fifteen. At 18 he set up his own studio. Turner worked at first in water colours, then in oils. Between 1802 and 1809 Turner painted a series of sea-pieces, among them "Sun Rising in Mist". The masterpieces of this period are "The Lake of Geneva", "Frosty Morning", "Crossing the Brook", etc.

In 1819 Turner got out on his first visit to Italy. During the journey he made about 1500 drawings and the next few inspired by what he had seen. Turner was the master of the air and wind, rain and sunshine, horizon, ships and sea. He dissolved the forms of his landscape in the play of light and shade, he anticipated the work of French Impressionist paintings.

During his life Turner painted hundreds of paintings and thousands of water-colours and drawings. On his death Turner's own entire collection of paintings and drawings was willed to the nation and they are in the National and the Tate Galleries.