John Trivett Nettleship

John Trivett Nettleship (February 11, 1841 – August 31,1902) was an English artist, known as a painter of animals and in particular lions, and author. ["Concise Dictionary of National Biogrsphy"]

He was born in Kettering, Northamptonshire. After training for a legal career, he became an art student and illustrator. He wrote in "Essays on Robert Browning's poetry" (1868) the first major work of criticism on Browning, whose mid-century reputation was in the doldrums. This brought him Browning's friendship. He was prominent as a founder of the Browning Society. [ [http://www.globusz.com/ebooks/RobertBrowning/00000030.htm] : "A committee was elected, of which Mr. J. T. Nettleship, already well known as a Browning student, was one of the most conspicuous members; and by the end of October a small Society had come into existence, which held its inaugural meeting in the Botanic Theatre of University College."] He wrote also a biography of the artist George Morland.

He was one of "The Brotherhood", a group of the 1870s including John Butler Yeats and Edwin John Ellis. [ [http://www.pgil-eirdata.org/html/pgil_datasets/authors/y/Yeats,JohnB/life.htm] , [http://www.natgalscot.ac.uk/collection/online_az/4:322/?initial=W&artistId=5855&artistName=George%20Wilson&submit=1] ] They were admirers of William Blake, on friendly terms with the Pre-Raphaelites or at least the Rossetti brothers, and part of the Bedford Park social and artistic group. [R. F. Foster, "W. B. Yeats: A Life" (1998) I p. 12.]

His daughter Ida (1877-1907) married the artist Augustus John.

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