John Gardnor (1729–1808), was an English painter. Gardnor began life as a drawing-master, teaching drawing,

painting Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...

, and calligraphy. As such he had an academy in

Kensington Square Kensington Square is a garden square in Kensington, London, W8. It was built from 1692 on land acquired for the purpose in 1685 and is the oldest such square in Kensington. The houses facing, Nos. 1–45, are listed Grade II for their architec ...

. In 1763 he exhibited with the Free Society of Artists, sending two drawings with a specimen of penmanship. He exhibited with the same society in the following years up to 1767; in 1766 and 1767 contributions were also sent by 'Mr. Gardnor's pupils.' In 1767 he received a premium of twenty-five guineas from the

Society of Arts The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA), also known as the Royal Society of Arts, is a London-based organisation committed to finding practical solutions to social challenges. The RSA acronym is used m ...

. Gardnor seems now to have quit the profession of drawing for the church, and took orders. In 1778 he was instituted to the vicarage of St Mary's Church, Battersea, which he continued to hold up to his death. As vicar of Battersea Gardnor officiated on 18 Aug. 1782 at the wedding of

William Blake William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his life, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of the poetry and visual art of the Romantic Age. ...

. In 1782 Gardnor exhibited again, this time at the Royal Academy, sending two landscapes, and continued to be a frequent contributor of landscapes and views up to 1796. On 16 May 1787 Gardnor started with his nephew Richard on a tour to Paris, Geneva, Lausanne, Basle, Strasburg, and back down the Rhine. He made numerous drawings of the scenery on the Rhine, which he published in

folio The term "folio" (), has three interconnected but distinct meanings in the world of books and printing: first, it is a term for a common method of arranging sheets of paper into book form, folding the sheet only once, and a term for a book ma ...

parts, the first of which appeared in 1788 entitled ''Views taken on and near the River

Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , so ...

, at Aix-la-Chapelle, and on the River Maese.'' These views were engraved in

aquatint Aquatint is an intaglio (printmaking), intaglio printmaking technique, a variant of etching that produces areas of tone rather than lines. For this reason it has mostly been used in conjunction with etching, to give both lines and shaded tone. ...

by Elizabeth and William Ellis, Robert Dodd,

Samuel Alken Samuel Alken Sr. (London 22 October 1756 – 9 November 1815 London) was an English artist, a leading exponent of the newly developed technique of aquatint. History Samuel Alken entered the Royal Academy Schools, London, as a sculptor in 17 ...

, J. S. Robinson and by Gardnor himself. A smaller edition was published in 1792, in which the aquatints were executed by Gardnor and his nephew. Gardnor also executed a series of views in Monmouthshire for David Williams's ''History of Monmouthshire'', published in 1796; they were engraved in aquatint by Gardnor himself and J. Hill. In 1798 a sermon was printed which he preached before the armed association of Battersea. Gardnor died on 6 Jan. 1808 at the age of 79; he was buried in Battersea Church.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gardnor, John 1729 births 1808 deaths 18th-century English painters English male painters 19th-century English painters 19th-century English male artists 18th-century English male artists