Portrait of the painter Friedrich Wilhelm Keyl (1860s)

Frederick William Keyl (originally Friedrich Wilhelm Keyl; 17 September 1823 – 5 December 1871), born in Germany, was an

animal painter An animal painter is an artist who specialises in (or is known for their skill in) the portrayal of animals. The ''OED'' dates the first express use of the term "animal painter" to the mid-18th century: by English physician, naturalist and wri ...

in England; he received many commissions for paintings from Queen Victoria.

Life

Keyl was born in

Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...

, son of a wine merchant, and showed at an early age an interest in drawing animals. He studied at the Städelsches Kunstinstitut in Frankfurt under

Jakob Becker Jakob Becker (15 March 1810 – 22 December 1872) was a German artist noted mainly for his genre art, genre paintings of peasants. Biography He was born in Dittelsheim-Heßloch, Dittelsheim at Worms, Germany, Worms, and began his studies with ...

, and later was a pupil of Eugène Verboeckhoven in Brussels. From 1847 he lived permanently in England, and was naturalized in 1858. He was the only pupil of

Edwin Landseer Sir Edwin Henry Landseer (7 March 1802 – 1 October 1873) was an English painter and sculptor, well known for his paintings of animals – particularly horses, dogs, and stags. However, his best-known works are the lion sculptures at the bas ...

, and through him Keyl was introduced to

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

and

Albert, Prince Consort Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Franz August Karl Albert Emanuel; 26 August 1819 – 14 December 1861) was the consort of Queen Victoria from their marriage on 10 February 1840 until his death in 1861. Albert was born in the Saxon duch ...

. He obtained many commissions from the royal family, producing oil paintings, watercolours and sketches, and painting photographs; a notable commission was to paint Looty, the Queen's Pekingese. Apart from royal patronage, work included book illustrations, and plates for the ''

Illustrated London News ''The Illustrated London News'' appeared first on Saturday 14 May 1842, as the world's first illustrated weekly news magazine. Founded by Herbert Ingram, it appeared weekly until 1971, then less frequently thereafter, and ceased publication in ...

''.

Keyl was a frequent exhibitor at the

Royal Academy of Art 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 ...

and the

British Institution The British Institution (in full, the British Institution for Promoting the Fine Arts in the United Kingdom; founded 1805, disbanded 1867) was a private 19th-century society in London formed to exhibit the works of living and dead artists; it w ...

, though he was by nature averse to exhibiting his pictures. In 1852 he married Sara Constance Woodlin, a niece of the painter C. R. Leslie. They had nine children, of whom three died in infancy. Keyl died at his home in

St John's Wood St John's Wood is a district in the City of Westminster, London, lying 2.5 miles (4 km) northwest of Charing Cross. Traditionally the northern part of the ancient parish and Metropolitan Borough of Marylebone, it extends east to west from ...

, London, probably of consumption, on 5 December 1871, and was buried at

Kensal Green Cemetery Kensal Green Cemetery is a cemetery in the Kensal Green area of Queens Park in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. Inspired by Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, it was founded by the barrister George Frederic ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Keyl, Frederick William 1823 births 1871 deaths Artists from Frankfurt German painters of animals 19th-century German painters 19th-century German male artists 19th-century English painters Burials at Kensal Green Cemetery