John Alexander Gresse (1741–1794), was an

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painter and drawing-master.

Early life

Gresse was born in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

in 1741. His father was a native of

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, on the

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, and owned a small property close to

Oxford Street Oxford Street is a major road in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, running from Tottenham Court Road to Marble Arch via Oxford Circus. It is Europe's busiest shopping street, with around half a million daily visitors, and ...

, on which the present streets, Stephen Street and

Gresse Street Gresse Street is a street in London that is on the border between the City of Westminster and the London Borough of Camden, the north and eastern sides being in Camden and the rest in Westminster. The street is joined by Rathbone Place, Stephe ...

, Rathbone Place, were built about 1771. Gresse studied drawing under Gerard Scotin, the engraver, and was one of the first students to work in the gallery of casts founded by the Duke of Richmond. In 1755, he obtained a premium at the

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for a drawing by a student under the age of fourteen years; further, in 1759, he gained three premiums for drawings and studies from the human figure. He was successful again in 1761 and 1762, obtaining in all nine premiums before attaining the age of twenty-one.

Career

He was for a short time pupil of Major the engraver, and worked for several years under Cipriani, profiting at the same time by the instruction of Zuccarelli. He was employed by John Boydell to make drawings. Gresse lacked the industry and application necessary to succeed in the higher branches of his art, and as he inherited a sufficient income from his father, he did not exert his full powers. In 1763, he exhibited a landscape at the Free Society of Artists, and in 1764 two miniatures and a Madonna. In 1765 he became a member of the rival

Incorporated Society of Artists The Society of Artists of Great Britain was founded in London in May 1761 by an association of artists in order to provide a venue for the public exhibition of recent work by living artists, such as was having success in the long-established P ...

, and exhibited with them for four years, chiefly miniatures. In 1768, he sent a stained drawing of the

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's seat at

Roehampton Roehampton is an area in southwest London, in the Putney SW15 postal district, and takes up a far western strip running north to south of the London Borough of Wandsworth. It contains a number of large council house estates and is home to the U ...

. Gresse excelled in this branch of water-colour painting, and some of his views were engraved. He became one of the most fashionable drawing-masters of his day. In 1777, he was appointed drawing-master to the royal princesses, and was soon a favourite at court. His corpulence obtained for him the nickname of ‘Jack Grease.’ He occasionally practised etching, and etched the plates for Kennedy's ‘Account of the Statues and Pictures at Wilton House’ (1769). He published a few other etchings, including one of ‘St. Jerome’ after Guido, and ‘A Satyr Sleeping’ after N. Poussin.

Death and legacy

Gresse died on 19 February 1794, in his fifty-third year, and was buried at St. Anne's,

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. He was a great collector of works of art, which were sold by auction shortly after his death, the sale occupying six days.

References and sources

;References ;Sources {{DEFAULTSORT:Gresse, John Alexander 1741 births 1794 deaths 18th-century English painters English male painters British draughtsmen Painters from London 18th-century English male artists