DOI Heft:
No. 35 (February, 1896)
DOI Artikel:Sharp, Herbert: A short account of the work of Edward John Poynter
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17296#0015
THE STUDIO
ASHORT ACCOUNT OF THE mucn °^ n's ^me was devoted to sketching in
WORK OF EDWARD JOHN wate^ours-a jecjam in the use of which he
POYNTER, R.A. BY HER- ~ma ed by Mr. Thomas Boy,
' The following year was spent in Rome, in order
to avoid the rigours of an English winter, and in
Few men, after discovering at an early age the that city he made the acquaintance of Frederic
special bent of their talents, have followed it with Leighton, a young painter of twenty-three, at that
steadier persistence or more earnestness of purpose time engaged upon his picture of The Triumph
than the gifted painter whose work forms the subject of Cimabue, which, on its exhibition at the Royal
of this paper. Deep study of the human figure and Academy shortly afterwards, led him to fame,
the achievements of the old masters, together with Being invited to work in his friend's studio, he was
an accurate knowledge of antiquarian subjects, brought in close contact with the late President;
have enabled him to produce, and British Art to and this intimacy had most important results, for
gain, such standard works as Israel in Egypt, through its influence Mr. Poynter definitely decided
and The Catapult. These two of his earlier pic- to follow Art as a profession and to devote himself
tures may be associated as characteristic of Mr. to the study of the figure rather than landscape, to
Poynter's style ; and moreover they exhibit qualities which his natural tastes had tended,
which could not have failed to bring him speedily On his return home to England, he for some
into prominence, and at once rank him high as time worked regularly at Leigh's Academy in
a delineator of ancient civil and
military life.
Mr. Poynter, who was born in
Paris, March 20, 1836, is the son of
Mr. Ambrose Poynter, architect.
His mother, nee Emma Forster, was
a grand-daughter of Thomas Banks,
R.A., a sculptor of note, and one of
the early members of the Royal
Academy. Brought to England when
an infant, his earliest education was
at Westminster School, but he had
to leave that institution on account
of bad health, going from there to
Brighton College, and subsequently
to the Grammar School, Ipswich, on
the appointment of the Rev. I).
Rigaud (in whose house at West-
minster Mr. Poynter had lived) as
head-master. At the age of sixteen,
his parents gave up their first inten-
tion of sending him to a University
to complete his education. Being
a young man of delicate constitu-
tion, Mr. Poynter passed the winter
of 1S52-3 in Madeira, where,
though supposed to be still prosecu-
ting his scholastic studies under the
direction of a tutor, his predilections
led him to the study of Nature, and portrait of mr. poynter by himself
VII^No. 35.—February, 1896. 3
ASHORT ACCOUNT OF THE mucn °^ n's ^me was devoted to sketching in
WORK OF EDWARD JOHN wate^ours-a jecjam in the use of which he
POYNTER, R.A. BY HER- ~ma ed by Mr. Thomas Boy,
' The following year was spent in Rome, in order
to avoid the rigours of an English winter, and in
Few men, after discovering at an early age the that city he made the acquaintance of Frederic
special bent of their talents, have followed it with Leighton, a young painter of twenty-three, at that
steadier persistence or more earnestness of purpose time engaged upon his picture of The Triumph
than the gifted painter whose work forms the subject of Cimabue, which, on its exhibition at the Royal
of this paper. Deep study of the human figure and Academy shortly afterwards, led him to fame,
the achievements of the old masters, together with Being invited to work in his friend's studio, he was
an accurate knowledge of antiquarian subjects, brought in close contact with the late President;
have enabled him to produce, and British Art to and this intimacy had most important results, for
gain, such standard works as Israel in Egypt, through its influence Mr. Poynter definitely decided
and The Catapult. These two of his earlier pic- to follow Art as a profession and to devote himself
tures may be associated as characteristic of Mr. to the study of the figure rather than landscape, to
Poynter's style ; and moreover they exhibit qualities which his natural tastes had tended,
which could not have failed to bring him speedily On his return home to England, he for some
into prominence, and at once rank him high as time worked regularly at Leigh's Academy in
a delineator of ancient civil and
military life.
Mr. Poynter, who was born in
Paris, March 20, 1836, is the son of
Mr. Ambrose Poynter, architect.
His mother, nee Emma Forster, was
a grand-daughter of Thomas Banks,
R.A., a sculptor of note, and one of
the early members of the Royal
Academy. Brought to England when
an infant, his earliest education was
at Westminster School, but he had
to leave that institution on account
of bad health, going from there to
Brighton College, and subsequently
to the Grammar School, Ipswich, on
the appointment of the Rev. I).
Rigaud (in whose house at West-
minster Mr. Poynter had lived) as
head-master. At the age of sixteen,
his parents gave up their first inten-
tion of sending him to a University
to complete his education. Being
a young man of delicate constitu-
tion, Mr. Poynter passed the winter
of 1S52-3 in Madeira, where,
though supposed to be still prosecu-
ting his scholastic studies under the
direction of a tutor, his predilections
led him to the study of Nature, and portrait of mr. poynter by himself
VII^No. 35.—February, 1896. 3