Henry Brocas facts for kids

Print by Brocas, done when he was 16.

Henry Brocas (born between 1762 and 1765 – died 2 November 1837) was an Irish artist. He was especially known for his beautiful landscape paintings. He also created many detailed engravings.

Early Life and Family

Henry Brocas was born in Dublin, Ireland. His family had come to Ireland from England a long time ago. Henry was the fifth son of Robert and Bridget Brocas. His mother was from Wexford.

Henry's older brother, James, was also an artist. Art seemed to run in the family! Henry lived in different parts of Dublin throughout his life.

Becoming an Artist

Henry Brocas was a self-taught artist. This means he learned to paint and draw on his own, without going to a formal art school. He worked with both watercolour and oil paints.

He was also a very busy engraver. Engraving is a way of making prints by carving designs into a surface. Henry made many different types of engravings.

What Henry Brocas Engraved

Henry's engravings included:

• Portraits: Pictures of people.
• Caricatures: Funny drawings that exaggerate someone's features.
• Topographical views: Detailed pictures of landscapes and places.

These engravings were often printed in magazines and newspapers in Dublin.

He created a political caricature in 1784 called The loves of the fox and the badger. He also made funny drawings about the Act of Union in 1800. This was an important law that joined Ireland and Great Britain.

Henry also engraved portraits of famous people of his time. These included important figures like Walter Hussey Burgh and John Foster. He even engraved a portrait of Robert Emmett. This portrait was published on the day of Emmett's trial in 1803.

Teaching and Later Work

In 1801, Henry Brocas got an important job. He became the Master of the Landscape and Ornament School of the Royal Dublin Society. This was a big art school in Dublin. He kept this job until he died.

Even though he was a master, some people thought he wasn't a very good teacher. He sometimes had trouble with being on time. He was even suspended from his job for a short time in 1832.

Henry showed his art in many exhibitions in Dublin. He exhibited his drawings at the Royal Hibernian Academy in 1837.

In the early 1800s, he drew political cartoons for a magazine called Irish Magazine. These cartoons showed events during the Irish Rebellion of 1798. This was a time when Irish people fought for more independence.

Henry Brocas passed away in Dublin on 2 November 1837. He left behind a family of artists. Four of his sons also became artists: James Henry, Samuel Frederick, William, and Henry.