Henry Edridge facts for kids
Henry Edridge (1768 in Paddington – 23 April 1821 in London) was a talented English artist. He was known for his beautiful miniature paintings, detailed portraits of people, and lovely landscape scenes.
When he was fifteen, Henry became an apprentice to William Pether, an artist who made a special type of print called a mezzotint. This training helped Henry become very skilled in different art forms.
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Henry's Artistic Journey
Henry Edridge started his career painting tiny portraits on ivory. Later, he switched to using pencil and ink on paper. He would add fancy backgrounds to these drawings.
Developing His Style
Over time, Henry began creating very detailed pictures using watercolours. These paintings often had light, simple backgrounds. He then found a way to make his watercolour paintings look as rich and deep as oil paintings, but still with the light feel of watercolours.
Famous People He Painted
Henry painted many important people of his time. These included Lord Nelson, a famous admiral, and Mungo Park, a well-known explorer. He also painted Thomas Coke, a Methodist missionary, and William Pitt, who was the Prime Minister. One of his notable portraits was of John Wesley when he was 88 years old.
Inspiration from a Master
A very famous painter named Sir Joshua Reynolds was incredibly impressed by one of Henry's tiny paintings. Sir Joshua loved it so much that he insisted on buying it and paid Henry a lot of money. This encouraged Henry to stop making prints and focus entirely on painting. He was smart to study and copy many of Sir Joshua Reynolds's artworks to improve his own skills.
Career and Recognition
Henry first set up his art studio in Golden Square. In 1801, he moved to Margaret Street, Cavendish Square, where he worked for twenty years.
Travels and Exhibitions
Henry loved painting landscapes. To explore this passion, he took two trips to Normandy and Paris in France, in 1817 and 1819. During these trips, he created many interesting drawings. These drawings were later shown to the public in exhibitions.
Where to See His Art
Today, some of Henry's landscape paintings can be found in the South Kensington Museum. His sketches of the first Lord Auckland and of Robert Southey are displayed in the National Portrait Gallery.
Royal Academy Membership
Henry became a student at the Royal Academy in 1784. This was a big step for artists in England. In November 1820, he was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy. Sadly, he didn't get to enjoy this honor for very long. Henry Edridge passed away from an asthma attack on 23 April 1821.
