Albert Johann Ludovici (3 September 1820 – September 1894) was a German and British artist, known for exhibiting at the

Royal Society of British Artists The Royal Society of British Artists (RBA) is a British art body established in 1823 as the Society of British Artists, as an alternative to the Royal Academy. History The RBA commenced with twenty-seven members, and took until 1876 to reach fif ...

Life

Ludovici was born on 3 September 1820, in Zittau. He was the son of Henriette Amilie (née Wölher 1795–1826) and Johann August Ludovici, (1789–1872). After living in

Chemnitz Chemnitz (; from 1953 to 1990: Karl-Marx-Stadt , ) is the third-largest city in the German state of Saxony after Leipzig and Dresden. It is the 28th largest city of Germany as well as the fourth largest city in the area of former East Germany a ...

until 1843, he moved to

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, where he studied at the "''Atelier Drölling"'' and was a contemporary of the well-known artist Jean-Jacques Henner. Ludovici moved to England, and living in

Margate Margate is a seaside resort, seaside town on the north coast of Kent in south-east England. The town is estimated to be 1.5 miles long, north-east of Canterbury and includes Cliftonville, Garlinge, Palm Bay, UK, Palm Bay and Westbrook, Kent, ...

, began a career as a painter. Within two years he had established himself as a successful

portrait painter Portrait Painting is a genre in painting, where the intent is to represent a specific human subject. The term 'portrait painting' can also describe the actual painted portrait. Portraitists may create their work by commission, for public and pr ...

and was able to return to

in 1850 to marry Caroline Grenier (1822–1893) and bring her back to England with him. He moved to Mornington Rd, London, where they had five children. He became a British citizen in 1871. Ludovici had a long and established career, often exhibiting at the

, where he was at one point treasurer. Included in the portraits he painted were

King Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria a ...

and

Queen Alexandra Alexandra of Denmark (Alexandra Caroline Marie Charlotte Louise Julia; 1 December 1844 – 20 November 1925) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, from 22 January 1901 to 6 May 1910 as the wife of King ...

. Ludovici's friend, the sculptor Jules Dalou presented him and his family with a terracotta bust of Ludovici in gratitude for their help after Dalou left Paris and stayed with the Ludovici family in London. Albert Ludovici died in Vevey, Switzerland in September 1894. Two of Albert's children became artists, his eldest son Albert Ludovici Jr., (1852–1932) and his second daughter Marguerite (Cathelin-Ludovici, 1856–1947). Albert Snr. was the Grandfather of Anthony M Ludovici, who although also a talented painter, chose writing as a career.

References

19th-century German painters German male painters 1820 births 1894 deaths People from Zittau People from Margate German emigrants to the United Kingdom 19th-century German male artists {{Germany-painter-stub