Sir John Gilbert (21 July 1817 – 5 October 1897) was an English artist, illustrator and engraver.

Biography

Gilbert was born in

Blackheath, Surrey Wonersh is a village and civil parish in the Waverley district of Surrey, England and Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Wonersh contains three Conservation Areas and spans an area three to six miles SSE of Guildford. In th ...

, and taught himself to paint. His only formal instruction was from George Lance. Skilled in several media, Gilbert gained the

nickname A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...

, "the Scott of painting". He was best known for the illustrations and

wood-engraving Wood engraving is a printmaking technique, in which an artist works an image or ''matrix'' of images into a block of wood. Functionally a variety of woodcut, it uses relief printing, where the artist applies ink to the face of the block and ...

s he produced 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 i ...

''. Gilbert was initially apprenticed to a firm of estate agents, but taught himself art by copying prints. He was unable to enter the

Royal Academy Schools 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 ...

, but mastered watercolour, oils, and other media. From 1836 he exhibited at the

Society of British Artists The Royal Society of British Artists (RBA) is a British art body established in 1823 as the Society of British Artists, as an alternative to the Royal Academy. History The RBA commenced with twenty-seven members, and took until 1876 to reach fif ...

, and at the RA from 1838. The art patron Thomas Sheepshanks and the artist

William Mulready William Mulready (1 April 1786 – 7 July 1863) was an Irish genre painter living in London. He is best known for his romanticising depictions of rural scenes, and for creating Mulready stationery letter sheets, issued at the same time as the P ...

suggested that he learn

wood engraving Wood engraving is a printmaking technique, in which an artist works an image or ''matrix'' of images into a block of wood. Functionally a variety of woodcut, it uses relief printing, where the artist applies ink to the face of the block and ...

. Starting with ''

Punch Punch commonly refers to: * Punch (combat), a strike made using the hand closed into a fist * Punch (drink), a wide assortment of drinks, non-alcoholic or alcoholic, generally containing fruit or fruit juice Punch may also refer to: Places * Pun ...

'', he moved on to the ''Illustrated London News''. He designed an impressive number of wood-engravings (over 2000) for that publication and for ''

The London Journal ''The London Journal; and Weekly Record of Literature, Science and Art'' (published from 1845 to 1928) was a British penny fiction weekly, one of the best-selling magazines of the nineteenth century. It was established by George Stiff, publish ...

''. He also produced very many illustrations for books, including nearly all the important English poets (including his illustrated

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

with almost 750 drawings). He became president of the

Royal Watercolour Society 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 wa ...

in 1871. He exhibited some 400 pictures in watercolour and oil exhibited at the various societies. In 1872 he was knighted. He became an RA in 1876, in the same year as Edward John Poynter. The ''Gilbert-Garret Competition for Sketching Clubs'' was started in 1870 at St. Martins School of Art, and named after its first president, John Gilbert. Gilbert is buried at

Brockley and Ladywell Cemeteries Brockley and Ladywell Cemeteries (also known as Ladywell and Brockley Cemetery) were opened within one month of each other in 1858 and are sited on adjacent plots of previously open land. The two component parts are characteristic examples of the ...

Illustrated books and legacy

Gilbert illustrated: *

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

. ''Song and sonnets'' (London: S. Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington, 1862). * '' Tales from Shakspeare''. Charles Lamb (London: Richard Clay & Sons, Bread Street Hill, 1866) Shaksperes Works Charles Knight – Illustrations by Sir John Gilbert R.A (date unknown) Gilbert has nearly sixty oil paintings in British national collections.

References

External links

Phryne's list of paintings by Gilbert in accessible UK collections
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gilbert, John People from Blackheath, London 19th-century English painters English male painters English illustrators English watercolourists 1817 births 1897 deaths Royal Academicians Burials at Brockley and Ladywell Cemeteries 19th-century English male artists