John Francis Rigaud - George Robertson - Google Art Project

George Robertson (–1788) was an English landscape painter.

Life

George Robertson, born in London about 1748, was son of a wine merchant, and received his education from a Mr. Rolfe in Red Lion Street,

Clerkenwell Clerkenwell () is an area of central London, England. Clerkenwell was an ancient parish from the mediaeval period onwards, and now forms the south-western part of the London Borough of Islington. The well after which it was named was redisco ...

. He studied art at Shipley's school, and was noted there for his skill in drawing horses, for which he received a premium from the Society of Arts in 1761. He afterwards went to Italy, and studied in Rome. He was patronised by William Beckford of Somerley Hall, Suffolk, with whom Robertson went to Jamaica, where Beckford had a large property. Robertson drew several views of this property in Jamaica, which on his return were finely engraved by D. Lerpinière, T. Vivares, and J. Mason, and published by

John Boydell John Boydell (; 19 January 1720 (New Style) – 12 December 1804) was a British publisher noted for his reproductions of engravings. He helped alter the trade imbalance between Britain and France in engravings and initiated a British tradition i ...

. He also exhibited views of Jamaica and other landscapes at the Incorporated Society of Artists' exhibitions, acting as vice-president of the society for some years. He obtained employment in London as a drawing-master, notably at a ladies' boarding school in Queen Square,

Bloomsbury Bloomsbury is a district in the West End of London. It is considered a fashionable residential area, and is the location of numerous cultural, intellectual, and educational institutions. Bloomsbury is home of the British Museum, the largest mus ...

. He inherited a small fortune from an uncle and a house in

Newington Butts Newington Butts is a former hamlet, now an area of the London Borough of Southwark, that gives its name to a segment of the A3 road running south-west from the Elephant and Castle junction. The road continues as Kennington Park Road leading to ...

, where he died on 26 September 1788, aged about 40.Cust 1896, p. 407.

Appraisal

According to Lionel Cust, Robertson's landscapes are theatrical in conception, but have peculiar merits. Many were engraved, including a series of views of the

iron works An ironworks or iron works is an industrial plant where iron is smelted and where heavy iron and steel products are made. The term is both singular and plural, i.e. the singular of ''ironworks'' is ''ironworks''. Ironworks succeeded bloomeri ...

in Coalbrookdale, by J. Fittler, Wilson Lowry, and F. Chesham, and two views of Windsor Castle, one with the Royal Family on the terrace, by J. Fittler; all of these were published by Boydell. A series of scenes from James Thomson's ''Seasons'', drawn by Robertson in conjunction with

Charles Reuben Ryley Charles Reuben Ryley (1752?–1798) was an English painter. Life The son of a trooper in the Horse Guards, he was born in London about 1752. He was of weak constitution and deformed in figure. At first he studied engraving, for which he receiv ...

, were also engraved. Robertson seldom painted in oil, but in the hall of the Vintners' Company is a picture by him in oils of '' St. Martin dividing his Cloak''. He also etched a few landscapes.

Collections

Robertson's work is held in the following permanent collections: * British Museum, London * Yale Center for British Art, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut

Notes

References

* Bury, Stephen, ed. (2013)
"Robertson, George"
In ''

Benezit Dictionary of British Graphic Artists and Illustrators The ''Benezit Dictionary of Artists'' (in French, ''Bénézit: Dictionnaire des peintres, sculpteurs, dessinateurs et graveurs'') is an extensive publication of bibliographical information on painters, sculptors, designers and engravers created p ...

''. Oxford University Press. * Cust, L. H.; Dias, Rosie (2004)
"Robertson, George (c. 1748–1788)"
In ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography''. Oxford University Press. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Robertson, George 1748 births 1788 deaths 18th-century English painters English landscape painters