Francis Place (artist) facts for kids
Francis Place (1647 – 1728) was a talented English artist and inventor. He was known for his drawings, engravings, and pottery. Francis Place spent most of his life working in the city of York, England.
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Early Life and Discovering Art
Francis Place was born in 1647. He was one of several sons of Rowland Place. His family lived in County Durham.
Francis first started studying law, just like his father. He worked as a lawyer's apprentice in London. However, in 1665, a terrible plague spread through the city. This forced him to leave London and stop his law studies.
Around this time, Francis discovered he had a special talent for drawing and engraving. He learned a lot from his friend, a famous artist named Wenceslaus Hollar.
Life in York and New Interests
Around 1680, Francis Place moved to York. There, he joined a group called the York virtuosi. This group was made up of people who loved history and art.
Francis became good friends with many artists and historians in the York area. Two of his close friends were Ralph Thoresby and William Lodge. They often went on trips together to draw and fish.
During one trip to Wales, Francis and William faced a scary situation. They were mistaken for spies and put in prison! Luckily, they were soon released. This happened because of a political event called the Popish Plot, which made people suspicious of strangers.
Artistic Experiments and Creations
Francis Place was very creative and loved to try new things. From 1680, he started experimenting with oil painting. He also became interested in making pottery.
He tried different ways to glaze stoneware pots. From 1683, he even attempted to make porcelain. This was a very new and difficult process at the time.
However, Francis stopped making pottery in 1694. He found it hard to sell his creations and make money from them. Today, only four of his unique marbled greyware pots are known to exist. One of these rare pots is kept in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
Family Life and Later Years
Around 1680, Francis Place married Ann Wintringham. They had one daughter named Elizabeth. Later, his first wife passed away.
In 1693, Francis married Ann Wilkinson. They had two more daughters, Ann and Frances. Francis painted a portrait of himself, possibly around the time of his second marriage.
Francis Place lived to be 81 years old. He died at his home, King's Manor, in York on September 21, 1728. He was buried in St Olave's Church, York.
