Retreat of Napoleon Army from Moscow 1812

John Augustus Atkinson (c.1775–1830) was an English artist, engraver and watercolourist.

Life

Atkinson was born in

London London is the capital and 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 down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. In 1784, he went to

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 ...

to his uncle James Walker, engraver to the empress

Catherine the Great , en, Catherine Alexeievna Romanova, link=yes , house = , father = Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst , mother = Joanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp , birth_date = , birth_name = Princess Sophie of Anhal ...

There he studied in the picture galleries, encouraged by Catherine and her son

Paul I Paul I may refer to: *Paul of Samosata (200–275), Bishop of Antioch *Paul I of Constantinople (died c. 350), Archbishop of Constantinople *Pope Paul I (700–767) *Paul I Šubić of Bribir (c. 1245–1312), Ban of Croatia and Lord of Bosnia *Paul ...

, and was commissioned by Paul to paint large pictures of Russian history. In 1801, Atkinson returned to England, and in 1803 published ''A Picturesque Representation of the Manners, Customs, and Amusements of the Russians'', in 100 plates, drawn and etched by himself. He also painted in watercolours and in 1808 was elected to the

Society of Painters in Water Colours The Royal Watercolour Society is a British institution of painters working in watercolours. The Society is a centre of excellence for water-based media on paper, which allows for a diverse and interesting range of approaches to the medium of wat ...

. Many of his works, during the Napoleonic wars, were of naval subjects. He painted many battle scenes including a ''Battle of Waterloo'', which was engraved by John Burnet. His last contribution to the

Royal Academy 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 pur ...

exhibition was in 1829. He died on 25 March 1830 in London. His will was dated 1830.

Selected works

Sailors at Prayer on board Lord Nelsons Ship

*''Carriage on Sledges'' 1803 Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, British Columbia *''A Russian Village'' 1804 Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, British Columbia *''Golubtza'' 1804 Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, British Columbia *''Village Amusements'' 1804 Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, British Columbia *''Scene from Tom Jones'' Courtauld Institute of Art, London *''The Slack Rope'' Courtauld Institute of Art, London *''A Belgian Waggon with Four Horses'' Tate Gallery, London *''Illustrations to Ossian'' The Huntington Library, California *''Heaving a Lead'' 1807 National Maritime Museum *''Greenwich Pensioners'' 1808 National Maritime Museum *''Skating'', 1810 Tyne & Wear Museums, England *''Ships of the Reign of King Edward IV'' 1812 - Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco *''42nd Highlanders at Waterloo'' Courtauld Institute of Art, London *''British Sailors Boarding a Man of War'' 1815 National Maritime Museum

References

Attribution: * {{DEFAULTSORT:Atkinson, John Augustus Date of birth unknown 1830 deaths 18th-century English painters English male painters 19th-century English painters English watercolourists English engravers Painters from London Year of birth uncertain 19th-century English male artists 18th-century English male artists