Benjamin Wilson (painter) facts for kids
Benjamin Wilson (born June 21, 1721 – died June 6, 1788) was a talented British artist and scientist. He was known for his paintings, especially portraits, and for his interesting experiments with electricity and light.
Early Life and Art Career
Benjamin Wilson was born in York, England. He was the 14th child in his family! His father was a wealthy cloth merchant. Sadly, his father's business later failed.
Because of this, young Benjamin moved to London. There, he started working as a legal clerk. But his real passion was art. He began to study painting with help from the famous artist William Hogarth. Benjamin took drawing classes at the St. Martin's Lane Academy.
For a few years, from 1748 to 1750, Benjamin Wilson lived in Dublin, Ireland. He became a very successful portrait painter there. He also started his scientific work during this time.
When he returned to London, he became a popular portrait painter. He even competed with another famous artist, Joshua Reynolds. Benjamin Wilson became friends with Prince Edward, Duke of York and Albany. The Prince helped him a lot. In 1773, Benjamin was even named the official Painter to the Board of Ordnance. This was a special job where he painted for the government.
Benjamin Wilson: The Scientist
Besides being a great artist, Benjamin Wilson was also a keen scientist. He was especially interested in electricity.
He had different ideas about electricity than the famous American scientist Benjamin Franklin. Franklin believed in "positive" and "negative" electricity. But Wilson thought electricity worked more like Isaac Newton's ideas about gravity. He believed that the density of a special "ether" around objects changed with their electrical charge.
Wilson also disagreed with Franklin about lightning rods. Franklin thought pointed lightning rods were best for protecting buildings. Wilson, however, believed that blunt (flat-ended) rods worked better.
Benjamin Wilson also studied how some materials glowed in the dark. These are called luminescent materials. He was one of the first to suggest that tiny amounts of metal inside these materials could change the color of their glow. He tried experiments with oyster shells to prove this.
His most important scientific work was on a mineral called tourmaline. He studied how tourmaline reacted to electricity. This work brought him international fame! He was even chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1751. This is a very high honor for scientists in Britain. In 1760, he received the Copley Medal, a top award, for his tourmaline experiments.
His Students
Benjamin Wilson also taught art to others. Two of his notable students were the portrait painter Richard Brompton and the famous artist Johann Zoffany.
