George Victor Du Noyer

Infobox Artist
bgcolour = #EEDD82
birthname = George Victor Du Noyer
birthdate = 1817
location = Dublin, Ireland
deathdate = 3 January 1869
deathplace = County Antrim, Ireland
nationality = British (Ireland)
field = Painting
training =
works =
patrons =
awards =

George Victor Du Noyer (1817 – 3 January 1869), was an Irish painter, geologist and antiquary, of Huguenot descent. As an artist, his favourite medium was watercolour, but a large number of sketches by him in pencil and other mediums also survive. He was a gifted and extremely prolific artist.

Most of his work relates exclusively to Ireland. Throughout his life, he was often commissioned to draw or paint realistic depictions of locations all over Ireland (making many of his works interesting from an Irish historical perspective). Much of this work took place during his time with the Irish Ordnance Survey.

Personal life

George Victor Du Noyer was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1817, and also grew up there. He was the son of Louis Victor Du Noyer (1782 – 1868) and Margaret Du Bédat (1794 – 1876), both of Huguenot descent. They had married in 1816. His father, Louis Victor, was a French teacher in Dublin. ["Hidden Landscapes", pp 11 - 12.]

On 4 January 1858, George Victor Du Noyer married Frances Adélaide Du Bédat (1833 – 1914)."Hidden Landscapes", pp 14 - 15.]

They had five children – William Victor (b. 1859), Fanny (b. April 1864 - d. 2 January 1869), Charlotte Eugéne (b. 20 July 1865), and Henry Westropp and Joseph Du Bédat, twins (b. 18 March 1867). The family lived at Albertville, Sydney Avenue, Blackrock, Co . Dublin, for many years.

On 3 January 1869, George Victor Du Noyer died of scarlet fever while on Survey in County Antrim, one day after his daughter Fanny died of the same disease. Du Noyer was buried in Co. Antrim.

Throughout his life Du Noyer lived at various different addresses in Dublin. However, the nature of his work meant that he was often absent from Dublin for large periods.

Career

In 1834 he was employed by the Civilian Department of the Irish Ordnance Survey. He remained there for a number of years – during a period when Ireland was being mapped by the Ordnance Survey for the first time.Hidden Landscapes.]

He became a member of the 'Geological Society of Dublin' on 20 November 1843. In October 1848, he became a Temporary Assistant Geologist with the Geological Survey of Ireland. In April 1849, he became an Assistant Geologist with the Survey. In April 1867, Du Noyer became the Geological Survey of Ireland's first District Surveyor and moved to Carrigfergus, Co. Antrim.

Du Noyer's art includes works on plants, animals, fish, fossils, geology, maps, landscapes, people, country houses, historic buildings and antiquities, as well as on other subjects.

One of his best and most famous works is "Killiney Head looking towards Bray, Co. Wicklow, 1866", a landscape in watercolour. When compared with this part of County Dublin today, a remarkable change is noticeable – with what was in Du Noyer's time a rural area having since become part of the city of Dublin.

Most of his best work is in the collections of the 'Geological Survey of Ireland', the Royal Irish Academy, the National Museum of Ireland, the National Botanic Gardenscite news
last = Kearns
first = Martha
coauthors =
title = Priceless plant art in first exhibition
work = Irish Independent
pages =
language =
publisher =
date = Saturday, 2 February 2002
url = http://www.independent.ie/national-news/priceless-plant-art-in-first--exhibition-315637.html | accessdate = 2008-06-02] and the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland. However, his work is also located elsewhere and some is in private collections.

Du Noyer was a member of the Royal Irish Academy. He was also a member of a number of societies associated with his various fields of interest.

References & footnotes

Bibliography

*Croke, Fionnuala, ed. "George Victor du Noyer - Hidden Landscapes". Dublin: The National Gallery of Ireland, 1995. ISBN 0903 162717.

External links

*cite web |url= http://www.gsi.ie/Programmes/Heritage/Archives/Du+Noyer+Collection.htm
title= Du Noyer Collection (with a photo of him and a small selection of his works)
work= Geological Survey of Ireland Website
accessdate=2008-06-02
*cite web |url= http://www.botanicgardens.ie/lib/art.html
title= Botanical Art Collections - George Victor du Noyer
work= National Botanic Gardens of Ireland Website
accessdate=2008-06-02