William James Müller

The Rialto Bridge, Venice, watercolour by Müller dated 1835

William James Müller (28 June 1812 – 8 September 1845), English landscape and figure painter, the best-known artist of the Bristol School.

Biography

Müller was born at Bristol, the son of J. S. Müller, a Prussian who was a native of Danzig, curator of the Bristol museum.

He first studied painting under J. B. Pyne. His early subjects deal mainly with the scenery of Gloucestershire and Wales, and he learned much from his study of Claude, Ruysdael, and earlier landscape-painters. In 1833 he figured for the first time in the Royal Academy with his “Destruction of Old London Bridge-Morning,” and next year he made a tour through France, Switzerland and Italy.

Four years later he visited Athens, extending his travels to Egypt, and in the sketches executed during this period and the paintings produced from them his power and individuality are apparent. Among the results were two landscapes, “Athens from the Road to Marathon,” and “Memnon, or Ruins at Gornou in Egypt at Sunset.” Shortly after his return, he left Bristol and settled in London, where he exhibited regularly. In 1840 he again visited France, where he executed a series of sketches of Renaissance architecture, twenty-five of which were lithographed and published in 1841, in a folio entitled “The Age of Francis I. of France.”

In 1843 he accompanied, at his own request and his own charges, the government expedition under Charles Fellows to Lycia in quest of the Xanthian marbles, where he made a number of masterly sketches. The sketches were exhibited in London. The artist received numerous commissions for finished pictures, but his ill health prevented him from fulfilling them. He died at Bristol on 8 September 1845. His works commanded high prices after his death.

Müller is buried in the Unitarian burial ground, Brunswick Cemetery, off Brunswick Square, Bristol. His grave is marked by a simple polished black stone slab inscribed "Sacred to the memory of William James Muller who died Sep 8th 1845 Aged 35 years" His age stated as 35 years is contrary to the actual burial records which record his age as 33. It seems that the current tomb stone may be relatively modern, as the grave was recorded as being unmarked on a 1970's survey. A bust of the painter is located at the entrance to the cloister in Bristol Cathedral.

The print room of the British Museum possesses, through the bequest of John Henderson, a rich collection of Müller's sketches. Biographies of Müller have been written by Solly (1875), Bunt (1948) and Greenacre and Stoddard (1991).

Publications

• William James Müller, Muller's sketches of the age of Francis the First, 26 large and fine tinted drawings on stone of splendid Architecture and Picturesque Old Buildings in France (H. Graves, 1841)

Bibliography

• Nathaniel Neal Solly, Memoir of the life of William James Müller, a native of Bristol, landscape and figure painter: with original letters and an account of his travels and of his principal works (London: Chapman & Hall, 1875) 369 pp.
• Cyril George Eduard Bunt, The Life and Art of William James Müller of Bristol (Leigh-on-Sea: E. Lewis, 1948)
• Francis Greenacre & Sheena Stoddard, W.J. Müller, 1812-1845 (Friends of Bristol Art Gallery for Bristol Museums and Art Gallery, 1991), 176 pp., ISBN 0950724211, ISBN 9780950724218
• William James Müller 1812-1845: Exhibition to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Müller's birth held at the City Art Gallery Bristol October 18th - November 24th 1962 (City & County of Bristol, 1962)
• William Müller, 1812-1845: Tate Gallery, 12 November 1984 - 31 March, 1985 (Tate Gallery, 1984) 6 pp.
• Texts on Wikisource:
  • "Müller, William John". The American Cyclopædia. 1879.  This work has an anomalous theory on his death.
  • "Müller, William James". Encyclopaedia Britannica. 17 (9th ed.). 1884. 
  • James Charles Mathew (1894). "Müller, William John". In Sidney Lee. Dictionary of National Biography. 39. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 
  • "Muller, William John". New International Encyclopedia. 1905. 
  • This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). "Müller, William James". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 
  • "Muller, William James". Encyclopedia Americana. 1920. 

See also

• Royal West of England Academy

Persondata
Name	Müller, William James
Alternative names
Short description	English artist
Date of birth	28 June 1812
Place of birth	Bristol
Date of death	8 September 1845
Place of death	Bristol