Nathaniel Plimer - Self-Portrait - Walters 3884 cropped

Nathaniel Plimer (1757–1822) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

miniature portrait painter. Plimer was born to a clockmaker, also named Nathaniel, and his wife variously called Mary Elizabeth or Eliza,Article by V. Remington. in

Wellington, Shropshire Wellington is a market town in Telford and Wrekin, Shropshire, England. It is situated 4 miles (6 km) northwest of central Telford and 12 miles (19 km) east of Shrewsbury. The summit of The Wrekin lies 3 miles southwest of the town. The ...

. He was originally apprenticed as a clockmaker like his brother

Andrew Andrew is the English form of a given name common in many countries. In the 1990s, it was among the top ten most popular names given to boys in List of countries where English is an official language, English-speaking countries. "Andrew" is freq ...

but both ran away and travelled for over two years in

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

and the west of England with a troupe of

Gypsies The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have diaspora populations located worldwide, with sign ...

before settling in London in 1781. He was apprenticed to

Henry Bone Henry Bone (6 February 1755 – 17 December 1834) was an English enamel painter who was officially employed in that capacity by three successive monarchs, George III, George IV and William IV. In his early career he worked as a porcelain a ...

the enameler, after working as his manservant, before joining his brother Andrew in studying drawing with

Richard Cosway Richard Cosway (5 November 1742 – 4 July 1821) was a leading English portrait painter of the Georgian and Regency era, noted for his miniatures. He was a contemporary of John Smart, George Engleheart, William Wood, and Richard Crosse. ...

. He exhibited at 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 ...

from 1787 until 1815.Perfect Likeness, Aronson & Wieseman, 2006. He exhibited twenty-six works. Many of his smaller portraits are highly regarded. Plimer lived the rest of his life in London apart from about a decade (1804-1814) in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. Plimer had four children, the youngest of whom, his daughter Adela, married the painter, Andrew Geddes.

Notes

References

* * Nathaniel appears in same DNB sketch. 1757 births 1822 deaths 18th-century English painters English male painters 19th-century English painters Portrait miniaturists People from Wellington, Shropshire 19th-century English male artists 18th-century English male artists {{England-painter-stub