George Arnald

George Arnald, ARA (1766–21 November 1841) was a British painter who specialised in landscapes, including topographical views to illustrated county histories. He is best known for his celebrated painting depicting the Battle of the Nile.

Biography

George Arnald was born in 1766. One account places his birth in the village of Farndip (now Farndish) in Northamptonshire (now Bedfordshire), although others suggest he was born in Berkshirecite web|url=http://www.nmm.ac.uk/mag/pages/mnuInDepth/Biography.cfm?biog=51|title=George Arnald biography on the National Maritime Museum website|accessdate=2008-09-06] .

There is little information about Arnald's early years, but it is believed that he began his working life as a domestic servant before turning to the study of art. He was a student of the landscape painter and engraver William Pether (c. 1738–1821).

Arnald first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1788, and eventually had 176 works exhibited there. He also exhibited 63 works at the British Institution. He was elected an associate member of the Royal Academy [cite web|url=http://www.racollection.org.uk/ixbin/indexplus?_IXACTION_=file&_IXFILE_=templates/pages/member_choice.html&_IXL_=A&filter=al|title=List of Royal Academicians (A)|accessdate=2008-09-11] on 5 November 1810, but was never admitted to full membership. Speaking to Sir George Beaumont, who was influential in the founding of the British Institution and the National Gallery, William Wordsworth lamented Arnald's lack of literary education, stating that he

Probably his best-known and most acclaimed work was a departure from his usual subject-matter. "The Destruction of L'Orient at the Battle of the Nile, 1 August 1798" is Arnald's only known maritime work [cite web|url=http://www.nmm.ac.uk/mag/pages/mnuInDepth/Biography.cfm?biog=127&name=Henry%20William%20Pickersgill|title=Biography of William Henry Pickersgill|publisher=Royal Observatory Greenwich|accessdate=2008-09-11] , and was one of four paintings commissioned for £500 each as part of a British Institution competition for paintings to hang in the Painted Hall of Greenwich Hospital. It was exhibited at the British Institution in 1827 and is now displayed at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London. It features as a "picture within a picture" in a work by Thomas Davidson, hanging alongside the famous Lemuel Abbott portrait of Lord Nelson in the gallery at Greenwich Hospital [cite web|url=http://www.portcities.org.uk/london/server/change/storyInPictures/contentType/ConGallery/contentId/95/viewImage/4|title=The Greenwich Hospital collection BHC 1811 at Portcities.org.uk|accessdate=2008-09-11] .

Arnald was a friend of fellow painter John Varley, and in 1798 and 1799 the two toured Wales together. His students included the portrait painter Henry William Pickersgill, who became a full Royal Academician [cite web|url=http://www.gac.culture.gov.uk/search/Object.asp?object_key=11419|title=List of Royal Academicians (P)|accessdate=2008-09-11] and whose eminent sitters included William Wordsworth, the Duke of Wellington and Sir Robert Peel [cite web|url=http://www.racollection.org.uk/ixbin/indexplus?_IXACTION_=file&_IXFILE_=templates/pages/member_choice.html&_IXL_=A&filter=al|title=Philip Mould Ltd: Historical portraits image library|accessdate=2008-09-11] .

Arnald died in Pentonville, London on 21 November 1841.

Work in public collections and galleries

Arnald's work features in collections including the Tate Collection [cite web|url=http://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/ArtistWorks?cgroupid=999999961&artistid=13|title=George Arnald's work in the Tate Collection|accessdate=2008-09-06] , the Royal Academy of Arts Collectioncite web|url=http://www.racollection.org.uk/ixbin/indexplus?*sform=%2Fsearch_form%2Fallform&_IXTRAIL_=Search+All&_IXACTION_=query&_IXSPFX_=templates%2Fsummary%2F&_IXresults_=y&all_fields=&name=George+Arnald&date=&works=true&books=true&archives=true&submit=Search|title=George Arnald in the Royal Academy Collections|accessdate=2008-09-06] , the National Portrait Gallery, London [cite web|url=http://www.npg.org.uk/live/search/portrait.asp?LinkID=mp00136&rNo=1&role=sit|title=George Arnald self-portrait in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery, London|accessdate=2008-09-06] , and the collections of the University of Liège in Belgium [cite web|url=http://translate.google.com/translate?langpair=fr|en&u=http://www.wittert.ulg.ac.be/fr/dico/ar/arnald_notice.html|title=Engravings of George Arnald works held at the Univeristy of Liège, Belgium|accessdate=2008-09-06] .

Book illustrations

Arnald's work was used to illustrate books, including the following:
*Scott, W. "The Border Antiquities of England and Scotland". Edinburgh: 1814
*Dugdale, James. "The New British Traveller". London: J Robins & Co, 1819
*Wright, Thomas. "History and Topography of the County of Essex". London: G. Virtue, 1836

References

Further reading

* Houfe, Simon, "The Bedfordshire Prodigy: George Arnald ARA", "Bedfordshire Magazine", Vol 2, (1990), pp. 135–41