George Dawe (6 February 1781 – 15 October 1829) was an English portraitist who painted 329 portraits of Russian generals active during
Napoleon's invasion of Russia
The French invasion of Russia, also known as the Russian campaign, the Second Polish War, the Army of Twenty nations, and the Patriotic War of 1812 was launched by Napoleon Bonaparte to force the Russian Empire back into the continental block ...
for the
Military Gallery
The Military Gallery (russian: Военная галерея) is a gallery of the Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The gallery is a setting for 332 portraits of generals who took part in the Patriotic War of 1812. The portraits were pain ...
of the
Winter Palace
The Winter Palace ( rus, Зимний дворец, Zimnij dvorets, p=ˈzʲimnʲɪj dvɐˈrʲɛts) is a palace in Saint Petersburg that served as the official residence of the Emperor of all the Russias, Russian Emperor from 1732 to 1917. The p ...
. He relocated to
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
in 1819, where he won acclaim for his work from the artistic establishment and complimentary verses by
Pushkin
Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin (; rus, links=no, Александр Сергеевич ПушкинIn pre-Revolutionary script, his name was written ., r=Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin, p=ɐlʲɪkˈsandr sʲɪrˈɡʲe(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ ˈpuʂkʲɪn, ...
. He was the son of
Philip Dawe
Philip Dawe (c.1730 – 13 August 1832) was an English mezzotint engraver, artist and political cartoonist. He is thought to have been born in London in the 1730s, the son of a city merchant. He died in Kentish Town, London. He was married t ...
, a successful
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 ...
engraver who also produced political cartoons relating to the events of the
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was an American political and mercantile protest by the Sons of Liberty in Boston, Massachusetts, on December 16, 1773. The target was the Tea Act of May 10, 1773, which allowed the British East India Company to sell tea ...
. One of his brothers was
Henry Edward Dawe
Henry Edward Dawe (1790–1848) was an English engraver and subject painter, the brother of the artist George Dawe
Life
Dawe was born at Kentish Town, near London, in 1790. He was taught by his father, Philip Dawe, the engraver, and he also stu ...
, also a portraitist. He died on 15 October 1829 in
Kentish Town
Kentish Town is an area of northwest London, England in the London Borough of Camden, immediately north of Camden Town. Less than four miles north of central London, Kentish Town has good transport connections and is situated close to the ope ...
,
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
.
Life and career
Early life and studies
George Dawe was born on 6 February 1781 to
Philip Dawe
Philip Dawe (c.1730 – 13 August 1832) was an English mezzotint engraver, artist and political cartoonist. He is thought to have been born in London in the 1730s, the son of a city merchant. He died in Kentish Town, London. He was married t ...
and Jane in Brewer Street, in the parish of
St James's
St James's is a central district in the City of Westminster, London, forming part of the West End. In the 17th century the area developed as a residential location for the British aristocracy, and around the 19th century was the focus of the de ...
in
Westminster
Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster.
The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Bu ...
. Philip was an artist and engraver in mezzotint who had worked with
Hogarth and
Joseph Mallord William Turner
Joseph Mallord William Turner (23 April 177519 December 1851), known in his time as William Turner, was an English Romantic painter, printmaker and watercolourist. He is known for his expressive colouring, imaginative landscapes and turbule ...
and who also produced satirical political cartoons about life in America which are still highly regarded today. George was the first child born to the couple and there would be other successful artists in the family. Dawe was baptised on 25 February 1781 at St James' Church in
Piccadilly
Piccadilly () is a road in the City of Westminster, London, to the south of Mayfair, between Hyde Park Corner in the west and Piccadilly Circus in the east. It is part of the A4 road that connects central London to Hammersmith, Earl's Court, ...
. He originally trained with his father as an engraver and became very accomplished from an early age. He later became interested in painting and went on to study at the Royal Academy of Arts where he won the Royal Academy Schools Gold Medal in 1803. He was elected an associate member of the Royal Academy in 1809 and became an Academician in 1814. He collected old masters and studied modern and classical languages, philosophy and literature. He also studied anatomy as part of his pursuit of a better understanding of the human form and undertook human dissections in his own home as well as attending operations to improve his knowledge of the human body.
Portrait painting
His painting of classical subjects won much praise and were the making of his early reputation but he was more interested in financial success and sought portraiture commissions which were lucrative and which brought him into contact with high society. However, the direct way in which he promoted his own work was not approved of by artistic society and brought considerable criticism from his contemporaries, one of whom was
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 ...
, who painted a background for a Dawe portrait on at least one occasion. He enjoyed the patronage of the
Duke
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...
and
Duchess of Kent
Duchess of Kent is the principal courtesy title used by the wife of the Duke of Kent. There have been four titles referring to Kent since the 18th century. The current duchess is Katharine, the wife of Prince Edward. He inherited the dukedom ...
and also that of
Princess Charlotte Princess Charlotte may refer to:
People
* Charlotte Christine of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1694–1715), wife of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich of Russia and mother of Tsar Peter II, Emperor of Russia
* Charlotte Aglaé d'Orléans (1700–1761), wife of ...
and
Prince Leopold. In 1819 he travelled with the Duke of Kent through Europe. On this tour his painting of portraits of military staff and diplomats brought him to the attention of
Alexander I Alexander I may refer to:
* Alexander I of Macedon, king of Macedon 495–454 BC
* Alexander I of Epirus (370–331 BC), king of Epirus
* Pope Alexander I (died 115), early bishop of Rome
* Pope Alexander I of Alexandria (died 320s), patriarch of ...
who commissioned him to paint the portraits of senior Russian military staff who had successfully fought
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
. He went to live in
St Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
and, from 1822 to 1828, painted over 300 portraits for the military collection at the Winter Palace with his assistants,
Alexander Polyakov and
Wilhelm August Golicke
Wilhelm August Golicke (russian: Вильгельм-Август Голике / Василий Александрович Голике; 1802 – 5 July 1848) was a Baltic German painter.
Life and paintings
He was born in Tallinn or Saint Pet ...
. He became a celebrity throughout Europe and mixed with the Russian intellectual elite. Among others he met and knew were
Pushkin
Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin (; rus, links=no, Александр Сергеевич ПушкинIn pre-Revolutionary script, his name was written ., r=Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin, p=ɐlʲɪkˈsandr sʲɪrˈɡʲe(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ ˈpuʂkʲɪn, ...
who wrote a poem about him entitled "To Dawe Esq." In 1826
Nicholas I invited him to his coronation ceremony and in 1828 he was officially appointed First Portrait Painter of the Imperial Court.
Career in Russia
![Georg Dawe](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/Georg_Dawe.jpg)
Dawe returned to England in 1828 and stayed for several months. During this time he exhibited many of his recent works and
George IV
George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from the death of his father, King George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten y ...
was among those to whom they were privately shown.
He returned to St Petersburg in 1829 but soon became increasingly unwell with breathing difficulties following a serious cold. He had had pulmonary weakness throughout life following childhood illness. He returned to London in August 1829 and died on 15 October at the home of his brother-in-law, Thomas Wright, a celebrated engraver. He was buried in the crypt of
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Grad ...
and his funeral was attended by many artists and officials from the Russian embassy.
The significant body of work he created in Russia is currently housed in the military gallery in the
Hermitage Museum
The State Hermitage Museum ( rus, Государственный Эрмитаж, r=Gosudarstvennyj Ermitaž, p=ɡəsʊˈdarstvʲɪn(ː)ɨj ɪrmʲɪˈtaʂ, links=no) is a museum of art and culture in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It is the list of ...
in St Petersburg. Many of his paintings are also included in the British
Royal Collection
The Royal Collection of the British royal family is the largest private art collection in the world.
Spread among 13 occupied and historic royal residences in the United Kingdom, the collection is owned by King Charles III and overseen by the ...
. Despite the international celebrity he enjoyed in his own lifetime his popularity did not endure in England, although in Russia he is still well-known and held in high regard.
Gallery of George Dawe's paintings (Russian noblemen and military officers)“Hermitage Museum Collection of George Dawe”
/ref>
File:Alexander I of Russia by G.Dawe (1817, Royal coll. of UK).jpg, Alexander I of Russia
Alexander I (; – ) was Emperor of Russia from 1801, the first King of Congress Poland from 1815, and the Grand Duke of Finland from 1809 to his death. He was the eldest son of Emperor Paul I and Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg.
The son of ...
File:Suvorov Alex V.jpg, Alexander Suvorov
Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov (russian: Алекса́ндр Васи́льевич Суво́ров, Aleksándr Vasíl'yevich Suvórov; or 1730) was a Russian general in service of the Russian Empire. He was Count of Rymnik, Count of the Holy ...
File:Kutuzov2 by Daw.jpg, Mikhail Kutuzov
Prince Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov ( rus, Князь Михаи́л Илларио́нович Голени́щев-Куту́зов, Knyaz' Mikhaíl Illariónovich Goleníshchev-Kutúzov; german: Mikhail Illarion Golenishchev-Kut ...
File:Alexei-jermolov.jpg, Aleksey Petrovich Yermolov
Aleksey Petrovich Yermolov (russian: Алексе́й Петро́вич Ермо́лов, p=jɪrˈmoləf; – ) was a Russian Imperial general of the 19th century who commanded Russian troops in the Caucasian War. He served in all the Rus ...
File:Madatov Valer'ian Grigor'evich, 1782-1829.jpg, Valerian Madatov
Prince Valerian Grigoryevich Madatov (, , Rostom Madatyan) (1782 – September 4, 1829) was a Russian-Armenian prince and a lieutenant-general of the Russian Empire. Sarkisyan, G. ''«Մադաթով»'' (Madatov). ''Armenian Soviet Encyclopedi ...
File:Kulnev.jpg, Yakov Kulnev
Yakov Petrovich Kulnev (russian: Яков Петрович Кульнев; 6 August 1763 – 1 August 1812) was, along with Pyotr Bagration and Aleksey Yermolov, one of the most popular Russian military leaders at the time of the Napoleonic Wars. ...
File:Cyprian Kreutz.jpg, Cyprian von Kreutz
File:Ostermann-tolstoi.jpg, Alexander Ivanovich Ostermann-Tolstoy
Count Alexander Ivanovich Count Osterman-Tolstoy (Russian: Александр Иванович Остерман-Толстой; 1770 – 12 February 1857) was a Russian nobleman and soldier in the era of the French Revolutionary Wars. He belonged ...
File:Denisdavydov.jpg, Denis Davydov
Denis Vasilyevich Davydov ( rus, Дени́с Васи́льевич Давы́дов, p=dʲɪˈnʲis vɐˈsʲilʲjɪvʲɪdʑ dɐˈvɨdəf, a=Dyenis Vasilyevich Davydov.ru.vorb.oga; – ) was a Russian soldier-poet of the Napoleonic Wars who in ...
File:Karl Wilhelm von Toll.jpg, Karl Wilhelm von Toll
Count Karl Wilhelm von Toll (russian: Карл Фёдорович Толль ; 9 April 1777, Keskvere, Governorate of Estonia – 5 May 1842) was a Baltic German aristocrat and Russian subject who served in the Imperial Russian Army in the ca ...
File:Barclay de Tolly (Dawe).jpg, Barclay de Tolly
Barclay de Tolly () is the name of a Baltic German noble family of Scottish origin (Clan Barclay). During the time of the Revolution of 1688 in Britain, the family migrated to Swedish Livonia from Towy (Towie) in Aberdeenshire. Its subsequen ...
File:Bennigsen.jpg, Levin August von Bennigsen
, native_name_lang =
, birth_name =
, nickname =
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, birth_place = Braunschweig, Electorate of Hanover, Holy Roman Empire
, death_date =
, death_place = Banteln, Kingdom of Hanover, German Confederation
...
File:Arakcheev Alexey Andreevich.jpg, Count Aleksey Arakcheyev
Count Alexey Andreyevich Arakcheyev or Arakcheev (russian: граф Алексе́й Андре́евич Аракче́ев) ( – ) was an Russian Empire, Imperial Russian general and statesman during the reign of Alexander I of Russia, Tsar Ale ...
File:Alexander von Benckendorff.jpg, Alexander von Benckendorff
Konstantin Alexander Karl Wilhelm Christoph Graf von Benckendorff (russian: Александр Христофорович Бенкендорф, Alexander Khristoforovich Benkendorf, – ) was a Baltic German Cavalry General and statesman, Ad ...
File:Михаил Андреевич Милорадович.jpg, Mikhail Miloradovich
Count Mikhail Andreyevich Miloradovich (russian: Граф Михаи́л Андре́евич Милора́дович, sh-Cyrl, Гроф Михаил Андрејевић Милорадовић ''Grof Mihail Andrejević Miloradović''; – ...
References
External links
*
George Dawe on the website of the National Portrait GalleryGeorge Dawe on the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dawe
English romantic painters
English portrait painters
Royal Academicians
People from Westminster
1781 births
1829 deaths
Painters from London
19th-century painters from the Russian Empire