- John Gilbert (painter)
Sir John Gilbert (
July 1 ,1817 –October 5 ,1897 ) was a British artist.He was born in
Blackheath, Surrey [Citation |title= Union List of Artist Names |url= http://www.getty.edu/vow/ULANFullDisplay?find=&role=&nation=&subjectid=500001979 |accessdate= 2008-07-13 ] , and taught himself to paint. Skilled in several media, he gained thenickname , "the Scott of painting". He was best-known for the illustrations andwoodcut s he produced for the "Illustrated London News ".Gilbert was initially apprenticed to a firm of estate agents, but taught himself art by copying prints. He was unable to enter the
Royal Academy Schools, but mastered watercolour, oils, and other media. From 1836 he exhibited at theSociety of British Artists , and at the RA from 1838. The art patronThomas Sheepshanks and the artistWilliam Mulready suggested that he learnwood engraving . Starting with Punch, he moved on to the Illustrated London News. He produced an impressive number of wood engravings for that publication and for theLondon Journal . He also produced very many illustrations for books, including nearly all the important English poets (including his illustratedShakespeare with almost 750 drawings). He became president of theOld Watercolour Society in 1871Citation |title= Shakespeare Illustrated: The Artists: Sir John Gilbert |url= http://shakespeare.emory.edu/illustrated_showartist.cfm?artistid=37 |accessdate= 2008-07-13 ] . He exhibited some 400 pictures in watercolour and oil exhibited at the various societies. In 1872 he was knighted. He became an RA in 1876, in the same year asEdward Poynter .The "Gilbert-Garret Competition for Sketching Clubs" was started in 1870 at
St. Martins School of Art , and named after its first president, John Gilbert. [ [http://chestofbooks.com/crafts/general/Arts-And-Crafts-Magazine/Art-School-Exhibitions-2.html Art School Exhibitions] ]References
External links
* [http://www.phryne.com/artists/81-62-55.HTM Phryne's list of paintings by Gilbert in accessible UK collections]
* [http://www.victorianartinbritain.co.uk/biog/gilbert.htm Gilbert biography with full text of obituary]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.