Frederick Christian Lewis facts for kids
after Philip Reinagle
Frederick Christian Lewis (1779–1856) was a skilled English artist. He was known for making different kinds of prints, like etchings and aquatints. He also painted landscapes and portraits. Frederick was the brother of Charles Lewis.
Contents
Life and Artworks
Frederick Christian Lewis learned his art from J. C. Stadler. He also studied at the famous Royal Academy art school.
Early Career and Royal Connections
Early in his career, Lewis helped create prints of Thomas Girtin's drawings of Paris in 1803. He also made copies of drawings by famous older artists for a book called Italian School of Design. He created many prints for another book, Original Designs of the most celebrated Masters in the Royal Collection.
Lewis became very well-known for his engraving skills. He made prints of crayon portraits by Sir Thomas Lawrence. He was even the official engraver for drawings belonging to several members of the British Royal Family. These included Princess Charlotte, Prince Leopold, King George IV, King William IV, and Queen Victoria.
Painting and Famous Collaborations
Besides making prints, Lewis also painted beautiful landscapes. He especially loved painting the scenery of Devonshire in England. He published several books filled with his prints of Devonshire rivers between 1821 and 1843. He also created etchings for a series called Scenery of the Rivers of England and Wales.
Lewis was very good at turning nature paintings by Philip Reinagle into detailed prints. His amazing talent as an engraver meant that royalty often asked him to work for them. He also helped create Liber Studiorum (meaning "Book of Studies") with the famous artist J. M. W. Turner. This collection of prints greatly influenced how landscape paintings were made.
Family of Artists
Frederick Christian Lewis came from a family of artists. His sons also became well-known in the art world.
His Talented Sons
His son, John Frederick Lewis (1805–1876), became a painter. He was famous for his artworks showing scenes from Italy, Spain, and the Middle East.
Another son, also named Frederick Christian Lewis (1813–1875), studied with Sir Thomas Lawrence. He traveled to India in 1834. There, he painted pictures of important ceremonies for local princes. His father later engraved these pictures, and they were published in England. This younger Frederick Christian Lewis passed away in Genoa.
A third son, Charles George Lewis, was also known as a talented engraver, just like his father.
Sources
- Attribution
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Lewis, Frederick Christian". Dictionary of National Biography. (1885–1900). London: Smith, Elder & Co.
