John Alefounder facts for kids

John Alefounder (1757 – 1794) was an English painter. He was known for painting portraits of people. He also painted very small pictures called miniatures. John worked in London, England, and later in India.

Early Life and Art Studies

John Alefounder was born in Colchester, Essex, England. This was in the year 1757. When he was 19 years old, he began studying art. He joined the Royal Academy Schools in 1776. This was a famous art school in London.

Exhibiting His Art

John Alefounder showed his paintings at the Royal Academy. He exhibited his work there for many years. His first show was in 1777. He continued to show his art until 1793. His very first piece was a design for a building. After that, he mainly showed portraits of people. In 1782, he won a special award. He received a silver medal for his art.

Famous Portraits and Engravings

In 1784, John Alefounder showed some interesting paintings. These included portraits of actors and groups of people. A famous artist named Francesco Bartolozzi made an engraving of one of John's portraits. This portrait was of a unique person known as "Peter the Wild Boy". In the same year, another artist, C.H. Hodges, also made an engraving. It was from John's portrait of the actor John Edwin.

Later Life in India

Later in his life, John Alefounder traveled to India. He continued his work as a painter there. He sadly passed away in Calcutta, India. This was on December 25, 1794.