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Daniel Gardner (1750 – 8 July 1805) was a British painter, best known for his work as a
portrait A portrait is a portrait painting, painting, portrait photography, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expressions are predominant. The intent is to display the likeness, Personality type ...
ist. He established a fashionable
studio A studio is an artist or worker's workroom. This can be for the purpose of acting, architecture, painting, pottery (ceramics), sculpture, origami, woodworking, scrapbooking, photography, graphic design, filmmaking, animation, industrial design ...
in
Bond Street Bond Street in the West End of London links Piccadilly in the south to Oxford Street in the north. Since the 18th century the street has housed many prestigious and upmarket fashion retailers. The southern section is Old Bond Street and the l ...
in
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, specializing in small scale portraits in
pastel A pastel () is an art medium in a variety of forms including a stick, a square a pebble or a pan of color; though other forms are possible; they consist of powdered pigment and a binder. The pigments used in pastels are similar to those use ...
,
crayon A crayon (or wax pastel) is a stick of pigmented wax used for writing or drawing. Wax crayons differ from pastels, in which the pigment is mixed with a dry binder such as gum arabic, and from oil pastels, where the binder is a mixture of wax an ...
s or
gouache Gouache (; ), body color, or opaque watercolor is a water-medium paint consisting of natural pigment, water, a binding agent (usually gum arabic or dextrin), and sometimes additional inert material. Gouache is designed to be opaque. Gouache h ...
, often borrowing Reynolds' poses. By some critics Gardner is regarded as a notable artist who, however, was not an accurate draughtsman if it came to figure work especially to facial construction in some of his pastels. For others, on the other hand, it is this special looseness or facile elegance which represents the uniqueness of Gardner's style, and in which they see an anticipation of
impressionism Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating ...
.


Education and career

Daniel Gardner was a pupil of George Romney. However, Gardner used to say that he learned very little from him. At around 1767 Gardner moved to London where in 1770 he became a student at the
Royal Academy of Arts The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its purpo ...
. There he was taught by
Johann Zoffany Johan Joseph Zoffany (born Johannes Josephus Zaufallij; 13 March 1733 – 11 November 1810) was a German neoclassical painter who was active mainly in England, Italy and India. His works appear in many prominent British collections, includin ...
,
Nathaniel Dance-Holland Sir Nathaniel Dance-Holland, 1st Baronet (8 May 1735 – 15 October 1811) was an English portrait painter and later a politician. Early life The third son of architect George Dance the Elder, Dance (he added the 'Holland' suffix later in l ...
,
Benjamin West Benjamin West, (October 10, 1738 – March 11, 1820) was a British-American artist who painted famous historical scenes such as '' The Death of Nelson'', ''The Death of General Wolfe'', the '' Treaty of Paris'', and '' Benjamin Franklin Drawin ...
,
Giovanni Battista Cipriani Giovanni Battista Cipriani (1727 – 14 December 1785) was an Italian painter and engraver, who lived in England from 1755. He is also called Giuseppe Cipriani by some authors. Much of his work consisted of designs for prints, many of whic ...
and
Francesco Bartolozzi __NOTOC__ Francesco Bartolozzi (21 September 1727, in Florence – 7 March 1815, in Lisbon) was an Italian engraver, whose most productive period was spent in London. He is noted for popularizing the "crayon" method of engraving. Early life B ...
. In 1771 Gardner won a silver medal at the Royal Academy of Arts for the portrait of an old man. The portrait was styled as a drawing in the ''Royal Academy Catalogue'' and therefore it very possibly was a work in pastel. It is said in a letter by Daniel Gardner's grandson, George Harrison Gardner, dated in 1856, that the subject of this portrait was ''The Chained Captive.''George Charles Williamson: ''Daniel Gardner, painter in pastel and gouache: A brief account of his life and works.'' John Lane, the bodley head, Vigo St., W, London 1921
p. 22.
/ref> Apart from this picture no further works by Gardner were shown at the major London exhibitions. At that time Gardner was residing at 11, Cockspur Street, Pall Mall, London. Later in his life he had resided at two different addresses in New Bond Street, London, no. 120 and no. 142, removing to the latter in 1781, but in 1793 he transferred his residence to lodgings at 3, Beak Street, Golden Square, London. At around 1773 Daniel Gardner worked with
Joshua Reynolds Sir Joshua Reynolds (16 July 1723 – 23 February 1792) was an English painter, specialising in portraits. John Russell said he was one of the major European painters of the 18th century. He promoted the "Grand Style" in painting which depend ...
. It is said that in several of Joshua Reynolds' pictures, the trees or
foliage A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, ste ...
were the work of Gardner. Reynolds' late style clearly influenced Gardner's work in terms of composition, handling, and conception of figures. However, if it comes to figure work Gardner was never such an accurate draughtsman like Reynolds was. It is quite easy to believe that Gardner was responsible in many instances for the landscape backgrounds, for the trees, for the tree trunks and for the wreaths of flowers in Reynolds' paintings. But it is not at all likely that Daniel Gardner was responsible for any of the figure work in the paintings of Joshua Reynolds.Neil Jeffares: ''Dictionary of pastellists before 1800 – Gardner, Daniel.'' 2012.Samuel Redgrave: ''A Dictionary of Artists of the English School: Painters, Sculptors, Architects, Engravers and Ornamentists: With notices of their lives and work.'' George Bell and sons, London, York Street, Covent Garden 1878, p. 167.George Charles Williamson: ''Daniel Gardner, painter in pastel and gouache: A brief account of his life and works.'' John Lane, the bodley head, Vigo St., W, London 1921
p. 16.
/ref>George Charles Williamson: ''Daniel Gardner, painter in pastel and gouache: A brief account of his life and works.'' John Lane, the bodley head, Vigo St., W, London 1921
p. 17.
/ref>George Charles Williamson: ''Daniel Gardner, painter in pastel and gouache: A brief account of his life and works.'' John Lane, the bodley head, Vigo St., W, London 1921
p. 41.
/ref> Daniel Gardner became very popular as a portraitist. He portrayed some of the most famous personalities of his days like
Jane Gordon, Duchess of Gordon Jane Gordon, Duchess of Gordon (''née'' Maxwell; 1748 or 1749 – 14 April 1812) was a Scottish Tory political hostess. Together with her husband Alexander, 4th Duke of Gordon, and son George, Marquess of Huntly (the future 5th Duke of Gordo ...
,
Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire (née Spencer; ; 7 June 1757 – 30 March 1806), was an English aristocrat, socialite, political organiser, author, and activist. Born into the Spencer family, married into the Cavendish family, she wa ...
,
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis, (31 December 1738 – 5 October 1805), styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as the Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army general and official. In the United S ...
,
Elizabeth Lamb, Viscountess Melbourne Elizabeth Lamb, Viscountess Melbourne (née Milbanke; 1751 – 1818) was one of the most influential of the political hostesses of the extended Regency period, and the wife of Whig politician Peniston Lamb, 1st Viscount Melbourne. She was the m ...
,
Frances Villiers, Countess of Jersey Frances Villiers, Countess of Jersey (''née'' Twysden; 25 February 1753 – 23 July 1821) was a British Lady of the Bedchamber, one of the more notorious of the many mistresses of King George IV when he was Prince of Wales, "a scintillating ...
,
Angelica Kauffman Maria Anna Angelika Kauffmann ( ; 30 October 1741 – 5 November 1807), usually known in English as Angelica Kauffman, was a Swiss Neoclassical painter who had a successful career in London and Rome. Remembered primarily as a history painter, K ...
and
Lord George Gordon Lord George Gordon (26 December 1751 – 1 November 1793) was a British politician best known for lending his name to the Gordon Riots of 1780. An eccentric and flighty personality, he was born into the Scottish nobility and sat in the Hous ...
. Therefore, it does not come as a surprise, that Gardner appears to have made money very rapidly. His pictures were very popular, he was able to paint quickly, and he got good prices for them. He spent a considerable part of his time away from home, having adopted the practice of staying in the house with his patron, when he could paint various members of the family, and sometimes of the neighbouring gentry as well. During all this time, Gardner was carefully saving up his money, and as soon as ever he was able to do so, he purchased on 10 December 1787 the old home of his parents in New Street, Kendal, and the property adjacent to it. Gardner continued this practice of buying houses and land for many years, until he had accumulated a substantial fortune and finally could afford to retire.George Charles Williamson: ''Daniel Gardner, painter in pastel and gouache: A brief account of his life and works.'' John Lane, the bodley head, Vigo St., W, London 1921
p. 3435.
/ref>The New York Times: ''The World of Art: Daniel Gardner,'' 31 July 1921. In particular Gardner was well known as a
pastel A pastel () is an art medium in a variety of forms including a stick, a square a pebble or a pan of color; though other forms are possible; they consist of powdered pigment and a binder. The pigments used in pastels are similar to those use ...
list. However, towards the end of the 18th century he started to paint in a technique that included
oil paint Oil paint is a type of slow-drying paint that consists of particles of pigment suspended in a drying oil, commonly linseed oil. The viscosity of the paint may be modified by the addition of a solvent such as turpentine or white spirit, and varn ...
,
crayon A crayon (or wax pastel) is a stick of pigmented wax used for writing or drawing. Wax crayons differ from pastels, in which the pigment is mixed with a dry binder such as gum arabic, and from oil pastels, where the binder is a mixture of wax an ...
s,
gouache Gouache (; ), body color, or opaque watercolor is a water-medium paint consisting of natural pigment, water, a binding agent (usually gum arabic or dextrin), and sometimes additional inert material. Gouache is designed to be opaque. Gouache h ...
and
pastel A pastel () is an art medium in a variety of forms including a stick, a square a pebble or a pan of color; though other forms are possible; they consist of powdered pigment and a binder. The pigments used in pastels are similar to those use ...
. This technique was later copied by several other painters like
John Downman John Downman (1750 – 24 December 1824) was a Welsh portrait and subject painter. Life and work Downman is thought to have been born near Ruabon, Denbighshire, the son of Francis Downman, attorney, of St Neots, and Charlotte (née Goodsend, ...
, John James Masquerier and Peter Romney (1743–1777), the brother of George Romney. However, large paintings Gardner painted in oil only. These are rare and do not often appear on the art market. According to an original letter from Daniel Gardner, dated: London, 12 November 1779, and now preserved in the J. H. Anderdon Collection in the
British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
, Gardner painted his very first oil painting in 1779. Gardner speaks in this letter of an oil picture that he had just completed, as "absolutely the first oil picture that I ever finished." The gentleman shown on this very first oil picture was Philip Egerton of Oulton (1738–1786), bareheaded, and holding a hoe in his hand.George Charles Williamson: ''Daniel Gardner, painter in pastel and gouache: A brief account of his life and works.'' John Lane, the bodley head, Vigo St., W, London 1921
p. 31.
/ref> It is said that Daniel Gardner made many of his own colours from strange
herb In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...
s, which he collected in the woods, and especially from powders which he made from bark and from
fungi A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from ...
. However, the majority of the dry colours used by Gardner he appears to have obtained from ''Messrs. Robertson & Miller, 51. Long Acre, London,'' as there are many allusions to their prices in his notebooks.George Charles Williamson: ''Daniel Gardner, painter in pastel and gouache: A brief account of his life and works.'' John Lane, the bodley head, Vigo St., W, London 1921
p. 30.
/ref> Gardner hardly ever signed his works. As a result, his works were later, mainly in the 19th century, often attributed to his colleagues
Joshua Reynolds Sir Joshua Reynolds (16 July 1723 – 23 February 1792) was an English painter, specialising in portraits. John Russell said he was one of the major European painters of the 18th century. He promoted the "Grand Style" in painting which depend ...
or
Thomas Gainsborough Thomas Gainsborough (14 May 1727 (baptised) – 2 August 1788) was an English portrait and landscape painter, draughtsman, and printmaker. Along with his rival Sir Joshua Reynolds, he is considered one of the most important British artists of ...
since they were better known within the general public. However, this does not come as a surprise if one takes into account that Gardner worked with both, Joshua Reynolds as well as Thomas Gainsborough.George Charles Williamson: ''Daniel Gardner, painter in pastel and gouache: A brief account of his life and works.'' John Lane, the bodley head, Vigo St., W, London 1921
p. 7.
/ref>
Marion Spielmann Marion Harry Alexander Spielmann (London, 22 May 1858 – 1948) was a prolific Victorian art critic and scholar who was the editor of '' The Connoisseur'' and ''Magazine of Art''. Among his voluminous output, he wrote a history of ''Punch'', ...
, in his work on ''British Portrait Painting,'' speaks of the connection between Thomas Gainsborough and Daniel Gardner. Spielmann refers to the "facile elegance of Gardner's work, which brings him closer to Gainsborough," but goes on to say that "his handling was more deliberate and smoother than Gainsborough's, and wholly lacking, of course, in the feathery touches which the greater man came to adopt." "Perhaps," he adds, "the occasional looseness of Gainsborough's drawing was too easily identified with that of Gardner." Spielman, however, is bound to notice "the extraordinary carelessness and defiance of facial construction" that is characteristic of some of Gardner's pastels, and points out that Gainsborough could never have painted in that method, and could never have made such mistakes as Gardner made in his haste.Marion Henry Spielmann: ''British Portrait Painting to the Opening of the Nineteenth Century.'' London, Berlin Photographic Co., 1910, Vol. II, p. 35. Samuel Redgrave wrote about Daniel Gardner: "He had a nice perception of beauty and character, and composed with elegance." And
William Hayley William Hayley (9 November 174512 November 1820) was an English writer, best known as the biographer of his friend William Cowper. Biography Born at Chichester, he was sent to Eton College, Eton in 1757, and to Trinity Hall, Cambridge, in 176 ...
wrote in his ''Essay on Painting,'' Epistle II:George Charles Williamson: ''Daniel Gardner, painter in pastel and gouache: A brief account of his life and works.'' John Lane, the bodley head, Vigo St., W, London 1921
p. 18.
/ref> Let candid Justice our attention lead To the soft crayon of the graceful Read; Nor, Gardner, shall the Muse, in haste, forget Thy Taste and Ease; tho' with a fond regret She pays, while here the Crayon’s pow’r she notes A sigh of homage to the Shade of Coates. The president of the
Royal Cambrian Academy of Art The Royal Cambrian Academy of Art (RCA) is a centre of excellence for art in Wales. Its main gallery is located in Conwy and it has over a hundred members. 240px, Plas Mawr, Conwy Early history During the 19th century there were numerous attempts ...
in
Conwy Conwy (, ), previously known in English as Conway, is a walled market town, community and the administrative centre of Conwy County Borough in North Wales. The walled town and castle stand on the west bank of the River Conwy, facing Deganwy on ...
, Sir Cuthbert C. Grundy (1846–1946), together with his brother John R. G. Grundy († 1915) founder of the
Grundy Art Gallery The Grundy is an art gallery located in Blackpool, Lancashire, England. Its eclectic programme consists of regional historic to recent contemporary art exhibitions. Opened in 1911, it is owned and operated by Blackpool Council. It is a Grade ...
in
Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the North West England, northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the Borough of Blackpool, borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, betw ...
, considered Daniel Gardner the most successful English pastellist of the 18th century, surpassing
Joshua Reynolds Sir Joshua Reynolds (16 July 1723 – 23 February 1792) was an English painter, specialising in portraits. John Russell said he was one of the major European painters of the 18th century. He promoted the "Grand Style" in painting which depend ...
in freedom and spontaneity, and
John Downman John Downman (1750 – 24 December 1824) was a Welsh portrait and subject painter. Life and work Downman is thought to have been born near Ruabon, Denbighshire, the son of Francis Downman, attorney, of St Neots, and Charlotte (née Goodsend, ...
in attaining finer and richer colour. Many of Gardners portraits were later engraved by engravers like
Francis Haward Francis Haward (19 April 1759 – June 1797) was an English engraver. He was appointed Engraver to George IV, H.R.H. the Prince of Wales. Life Haward was born in 1759. He was apprenticed to the engraver Thomas Watson (engraver), Thomas Watson in ...
(1759–1797), his brother-in-law, Thomas Watson (1750–1781)Timothy Clayton, Anita McConnell, 'Watson, Thomas (1750–1781)’,
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...
, Oxford University Press, 2004
or William Ridley (1764–1838) or they were reproduced as
mezzotint Mezzotint is a monochrome printmaking process of the '' intaglio'' family. It was the first printing process that yielded half-tones without using line- or dot-based techniques like hatching, cross-hatching or stipple. Mezzotint achieves tonali ...
s. From a financial point of view this was probably more lucrative for Gardner than the execution of the originals. Since Daniel Gardner could afford to retire at the height of his fame he also got out of the public eye and was nearly forgotten as an artist when he died in 1805. It was not until 1911 when his name and fame again came back into public awareness when his great-granddaughter, Miss H. B. Gardner, sold his portrait of Elizabeth Haward, Gardner's sister-in-law, through
Christie's Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie (auctioneer), James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, at Rockefeller Center in New York City and at Alexandra House in Hong Kong. It is ...
for the then record price of 2.200
guineas The guinea (; commonly abbreviated gn., or gns. in plural) was a coin, minted in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Great Britain between 1663 and 1814, that contained approximately one-quarter of an ounce of gold. The name came from t ...
to Mr. Adolph Hirsch. Gardner portrayed his sister-in-law in oil. This portrait is said to be one of Gardner's finest works.George Charles Williamson: ''Daniel Gardner, painter in pastel and gouache: A brief account of his life and works.'' John Lane, the bodley head, Vigo St., W, London 1921
p. 20.
/ref>


Private life

Daniel Gardner was a Westmorland man, born in Redman's Yard, Stricklandgate, Kirkby-Kendal in 1750. His father is said to have been a master baker, his mother was a Miss Redman, sister of Mr. Alderman Redman of Kendal, an upholsterer, with whom George Romney's father John Romney, a
cabinet maker A cabinet is a case or cupboard with shelves and/or drawers for storing or displaying items. Some cabinets are stand alone while others are built in to a wall or are attached to it like a medicine cabinet. Cabinets are typically made of wood (s ...
, was connected in business.George Charles Williamson: ''Daniel Gardner, painter in pastel and gouache: A brief account of his life and works.'' John Lane, the bodley head, Vigo St., W, London 1921
p. 12.
/ref> The members of the families of the two future portraitists, the Gardner's and the Romney's, knew each other well and it is said that one of the first portraits George Romney painted when he was still under twelve years old was the one of Daniel Gardner's mother.Rev. J. Romney, brother of George Romney: ''Memoirs of George Romney.'' . M. 787, I. 29 p. 12. Mrs. Gardner, interested in art and impressed by the work of the young boy, used all her influence to encourage George Romney to persevere, eventually interceding with his father to let painting be Romney's sole pursuit and profession.Cornelius Nicholson: ''Annals of Kendal.'' . M. 10358, g. 12 It was in the house of the Gardner's that George Romney first met Daniel Gardner who later became his pupil.George Charles Williamson: ''Daniel Gardner, painter in pastel and gouache: A brief account of his life and works.'' John Lane, the bodley head, Vigo St., W, London 1921
p. 13.
/ref> Daniel Gardner married his wife, whose first name was either Ann or Nancy, Haward on 8 October 1776. She was the sister of the engraver Francis Haward (born 1759). Gardner and his wife had two sons. However, only the elder son George (born 1778) survived. Gardner's wife died shortly after the birth of the second son in 1781. He never fully recovered from this tragic incident.George Charles Williamson: ''Daniel Gardner, painter in pastel and gouache: A brief account of his life and works.'' John Lane, the bodley head, Vigo St., W, London 1921
p. 19.
/ref> After the early death of his wife, Daniel Gardner sent his son George to Kendal, where he was brought up by the Pennington family with whom Daniel Gardner had formed a close relationship. William Pennington of ''Dowker & Richardson, Attorneys,'' also looked after Gardner's business affairs in Kendal. Evidence of this friendship is a double portrait that Daniel Gardner painted around 1780 showing William Pennington and himself. George Gardner became a
barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include taking cases in superior courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching law and ...
and a burgess of Kendal. He later married Harriet Anne Cumming. They had a son called George Harrison Gardner who was born in July 1814 and baptised in April of the following year by the Rev. Robert Blair, the Rector of Barton St. Andrews, Norwich, whose portrait Daniel Gardner painted.George Charles Williamson: ''Daniel Gardner, painter in pastel and gouache: A brief account of his life and works.'' John Lane, the bodley head, Vigo St., W, London 1921
p. 21.
/ref>George Charles Williamson: ''Daniel Gardner, painter in pastel and gouache: A brief account of his life and works.'' John Lane, the bodley head, Vigo St., W, London 1921
p. 26.
/ref> According to
The Gentleman's Magazine ''The Gentleman's Magazine'' was a monthly magazine founded in London, England, by Edward Cave in January 1731. It ran uninterrupted for almost 200 years, until 1922. It was the first to use the term ''magazine'' (from the French ''magazine'' ...
, Daniel Gardner died on 8 July 1805 from liver failure at 3, Beak Street, Golden Square, London. Also
The European Magazine and London Review ''The European Magazine'' (sometimes referred to as ''European Magazine'') was a monthly magazine published in London. Eighty-nine semi-annual volumes were published from 1782 until 1826. It was launched as the ''European Magazine, and London Re ...
reported about the death of Daniel Gardner. In the column of the ''Monthly
Obituary An obituary ( obit for short) is an article about a recently deceased person. Newspapers often publish obituaries as news articles. Although obituaries tend to focus on positive aspects of the subject's life, this is not always the case. Ac ...
'' there was the following short note to read: "Mr. Daniel Gardner, of Warwick-street, Golden-square, formerly an artist." Gardner was buried on 13 July 1805 in the churchyard of St. James's, Piccadilly, London. The value of his estate, which Gardner left to his only surviving son George, was declared at £10,000. However, it seems to be probable, from what his contemporaries thought about Gardner, that he had a far larger fortune to leave behind than would be represented by a sum of £10,000. It is possible that the whole of the Kendal property may have been already placed in the name of his son, and therefore did not appear in the declaration that was made on the decease of the father, or there may have been some way of avoiding a declaration as to the value of his landed estate.Philological Society of London: ''The European Magazine and London Review.'' Published by James Asperne, Successor to the late Mr Sewell at the Bible, Crown & Constitution Cornhill, Vol. 48, from July to Dec., 1805, Monthly Obituary, p. 79.George Charles Williamson: ''Daniel Gardner, painter in pastel and gouache: A brief account of his life and works.'' John Lane, the bodley head, Vigo St., W, London 1921
p. 42.
/ref>


Character

Daniel Gardner was an
eccentric Eccentricity or eccentric may refer to: * Eccentricity (behavior), odd behavior on the part of a person, as opposed to being "normal" Mathematics, science and technology Mathematics * Off-center, in geometry * Eccentricity (graph theory) of a v ...
. He sometimes would ask his sitters to show up in his studio at five o'clock in the morning. There he would only allow the sitters to be present. In his studio Gardner had a specially constructed easel with locking shutters since he refused to allow his sitters to see the work in progress. Gardner never travelled without this special easel. If he stayed in the house of his patron to do some portraits of him and his family he would even make it a condicio sine qua non to have his proper lockable workroom.George Charles Williamson: ''Daniel Gardner, painter in pastel and gouache: A brief account of his life and works.'' John Lane, the bodley head, Vigo St., W, London 1921
p. 43.
/ref> Gardner did not mix easily with his fellow artists, who viewed him as parsimonious, but he did form a close friendship with
Joshua Reynolds Sir Joshua Reynolds (16 July 1723 – 23 February 1792) was an English painter, specialising in portraits. John Russell said he was one of the major European painters of the 18th century. He promoted the "Grand Style" in painting which depend ...
and
John Constable John Constable (; 11 June 1776 – 31 March 1837) was an English landscape painter in the Romanticism, Romantic tradition. Born in Suffolk, he is known principally for revolutionising the genre of landscape painting with his pictures of Dedha ...
. Gardner portrayed Constable in 1796.The Victoria and Albert Museum, London.


Exhibitions (posthumous)

*''Daniel Gardner,'' Amateur Art Society, Hamilton Place, Piccadilly, London, 1910 This exhibition included 70 small portraits owned by Lady Strachey which were formerly in the collection of Lord Carlingford who purchased the pictures from Anne Eliza Dixon, Daniel Gardner's granddaughter. This collection was sold in 1911 at
Christie's Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie (auctioneer), James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, at Rockefeller Center in New York City and at Alexandra House in Hong Kong. It is ...
, and realised about a thousand pounds sterling. *''Daniel Gardner, 12 pastels from the collection of Lady Strachey,'' Cottier Gallery, New York, 1913 *''Daniel Gardner,'' Abbot Hall Art Gallery, Kendal, 1962 *''Daniel Gardner, 1750–1805,''
Kenwood House Kenwood House (also known as the Iveagh Bequest) is a former stately home in Hampstead, London, on the northern boundary of Hampstead Heath. The house was originally constructed in the 17th century and served as a residence for the Earls of Mans ...
, London, 1972


Collections

Works by Daniel Gardner form part of the following collections: * Abbot Hall Art Gallery in Kendal * National Portrait Gallery in London *
Tate Britain Tate Britain, known from 1897 to 1932 as the National Gallery of British Art and from 1932 to 2000 as the Tate Gallery, is an art museum on Millbank in the City of Westminster in London, England. It is part of the Tate network of galleries in ...
*
Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and nam ...
*
Montacute House Montacute House is a late Elizabethan mansion with a garden in Montacute, South Somerset. An example of English architecture during a period that was moving from the medieval Gothic to the Renaissance Classical, and one of few prodigy house ...
* Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales, Sydney


Literature

*George Charles Williamson: ''Daniel Gardner, painter in pastel and gouache: A brief account of his life and works.'' John Lane, the bodley head, Vigo St., W, London 1921


External links


Harriet Drummond, International Head of British Art on Paper at Christie's.
Harriet Drummond discusses Daniel Gardner's full-length portrait of Mary Sturt of
Crichel Crichel is a civil parish in East Dorset, England. It was formed on 1 April 2015 following the merger of Long Crichel and Moor Crichel Moor Crichel () is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Crichel, in East Dorset, England ...
(1740–1807) standing with her three eldest children, Diana, Mary and Humphry. This painting was sold at
Christie's Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie (auctioneer), James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, at Rockefeller Center in New York City and at Alexandra House in Hong Kong. It is ...
, London, King Street, for £133.875 in sale 1137, lot 65, on 2 July 2013.
Sketchbooks, geneaological material, accounts and letters of Daniel Gardner and family at Cumbria Archive Centre, Kendal


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gardner, Daniel 1750 births 1805 deaths 18th-century English painters English male painters 19th-century English painters English portrait painters Date of birth missing People from Kendal 19th-century English male artists 18th-century English male artists