William Capon was an English artist.

Life

Capon, whose father was also an artist, was born at

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...

on 6 December 1757, and in early life practised as a portrait painter. Capon went to London, where he became an assistant to the architect and scene-painter Michael Novosielski, and was employed on the decorations of

Ranelagh Gardens Ranelagh Gardens (; alternative spellings include Ranelegh and Ranleigh, the latter reflecting the English pronunciation) were public pleasure gardens located in Chelsea, then just outside London, England, in the 18th century. History The Ran ...

and the Italian Opera-house. He was afterwards employed by John Kemble as scene painter for

Drury Lane Theatre The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto Drur ...

, which was rebuilt in 1794. In later years he became celebrated as an architectural draughtsman. In the company of the antiquarian John Carter he recorded ancient buildings in Westminster, including some buildings which were scheduled to be demolished. He was appointed Architectural Draughtsman to the Duke of York in June 1804. He occasionally 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 ...

.Bryan He died at his home in North Street

Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Bu ...

in 1827.

References

Attribution: * * 1757 births 1827 deaths Artists from Norwich English scenic designers {{UK-painter-18thC-stub