DOI Artikel:
Baldry, A. L.: The members of the society
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.27085#0039
THE MEMBERS OF THE SOCIETY
cerned in the production of many books of views in the British Isles
and abroad ; and Gilpin, the son of a Royal Academician, was a
drawing master with a very large practice. Of the two Varleys,
John was the elder by three years ; he was only twenty-six when
the Society was constituted, but he had already gained a position
of some distinction by the merit of his work in landscape, and had
justified great anticipations as to his success in the near future—antici-
pations which before long were amply fulfilled. Art historians count
him rightly enough among the chief of the earlier masters of water-
colour, and estimate highly the value of his services. He was un-
doubtedly an important addition to the small group of enthusiasts
who were so anxious to see the claims of their art presented to the
public with due persuasiveness.
Of not less distinction were the recruits gained by the Society during
the short interval which separated the inaugural meeting of the
members on November 30, 1804, from the first exhibition early
in 1805. The list of adherents was raised to sixteen by the addition
of George Barret the younger, the son of the foundation member
of the Royal Academy, and an artist with an exquisite sense of
style and a very sound technical method ; Joshua Cristall, a poetic
painter who treated figure subjects and landscapes with dainty facility
and with charming taste ; James Holworthy, an able landscape
painter ; Stephen Francis Rigaud, who had gained the Academy
gold medal for historical painting three years before ; William
Havell, a young man of twenty-three, who showed promise, after-
wards well fulfilled, of becoming eminent in his profession ; and
John Glover, a self-taught artist, who had attained a good position
as a teacher, and had become widely popular by his works in oil
and water-colour. He filled the post of President of the Society
for the year 1815, but he resigned his membership in 1818 because
he had an ambition, which was, however, not realised, to become
an Associate of the Royal Academy.
The nine artists who were elected at the end of 1805 as “Associate
Exhibitors,” the newly-constituted class from which members were
to be chosen for the future, were Miss Anne Frances Byrne, the
eldest daughter of the engraver, William Byrne, and a clever painter
of fruit and flowers ; John James Chalon, a landscape painter of
unquestionable ability ; William Delamotte, the drawing master at
the Great Marlow Military Academy, who had been a pupil of
Benjamin West but had subsequently made a reputation by his
landscape drawings in Girtin’s manner ; Paul Sandby Munn, a man of
moderate ability ; Robert Freebairn, a pupil of Richard Wilson ;
m xxvii
cerned in the production of many books of views in the British Isles
and abroad ; and Gilpin, the son of a Royal Academician, was a
drawing master with a very large practice. Of the two Varleys,
John was the elder by three years ; he was only twenty-six when
the Society was constituted, but he had already gained a position
of some distinction by the merit of his work in landscape, and had
justified great anticipations as to his success in the near future—antici-
pations which before long were amply fulfilled. Art historians count
him rightly enough among the chief of the earlier masters of water-
colour, and estimate highly the value of his services. He was un-
doubtedly an important addition to the small group of enthusiasts
who were so anxious to see the claims of their art presented to the
public with due persuasiveness.
Of not less distinction were the recruits gained by the Society during
the short interval which separated the inaugural meeting of the
members on November 30, 1804, from the first exhibition early
in 1805. The list of adherents was raised to sixteen by the addition
of George Barret the younger, the son of the foundation member
of the Royal Academy, and an artist with an exquisite sense of
style and a very sound technical method ; Joshua Cristall, a poetic
painter who treated figure subjects and landscapes with dainty facility
and with charming taste ; James Holworthy, an able landscape
painter ; Stephen Francis Rigaud, who had gained the Academy
gold medal for historical painting three years before ; William
Havell, a young man of twenty-three, who showed promise, after-
wards well fulfilled, of becoming eminent in his profession ; and
John Glover, a self-taught artist, who had attained a good position
as a teacher, and had become widely popular by his works in oil
and water-colour. He filled the post of President of the Society
for the year 1815, but he resigned his membership in 1818 because
he had an ambition, which was, however, not realised, to become
an Associate of the Royal Academy.
The nine artists who were elected at the end of 1805 as “Associate
Exhibitors,” the newly-constituted class from which members were
to be chosen for the future, were Miss Anne Frances Byrne, the
eldest daughter of the engraver, William Byrne, and a clever painter
of fruit and flowers ; John James Chalon, a landscape painter of
unquestionable ability ; William Delamotte, the drawing master at
the Great Marlow Military Academy, who had been a pupil of
Benjamin West but had subsequently made a reputation by his
landscape drawings in Girtin’s manner ; Paul Sandby Munn, a man of
moderate ability ; Robert Freebairn, a pupil of Richard Wilson ;
m xxvii