John Downman facts for kids

Master Page, Anne Page, and Slender.

John Downman (1749 – 24 December 1824) was an English artist. He was known for painting portraits of people and also for creating pictures of different scenes or stories.

Early Life and Training

John Downman was born in 1749 in a place called Eynesbury, which is in Huntingdonshire, England. His father was Francis Downman, a lawyer.

John went to school first in Ruabon, Wales, and then briefly in Liverpool. He loved art and later studied at the Royal Academy schools in London. He also spent some time learning from a famous painter named Benjamin West.

Travels and Art Career

Swedish Baron Gustaf Adam von Nolcken, Swedish Ambassador to the United Kingdom (1780)

In 1773, John Downman traveled to Italy with another well-known artist, Joseph Wright of Derby. They sailed to Italy, stopping in Nice, France, before arriving in Livorno in February 1774. Downman returned to Britain in 1775.

After his travels, he lived in different places in England. He settled in Cambridge for a while in 1777. Later, he moved to London, which was a big center for art. He showed his paintings in many art exhibitions there.

In 1804, he moved to a village called West Malling in Kent. He also worked in other towns like Plymouth (1806) and Exeter (1807-1808). Later, he lived in Chester (1818-1819).

John Downman eventually moved to Wrexham, where his only daughter got married. He passed away there on 24 December 1824. He left a large collection of his artworks to his daughter.

His Artworks and Exhibitions

Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire (c. 1780)

John Downman was a very busy artist. He showed 148 of his works at the Royal Academy between 1769 and 1819. Most of these were portraits of people. He also painted "fancy subjects," which are pictures that tell a story or show an imagined scene. Some of these included 'Rosalind' for the Boydell Shakespeare Gallery, 'The Death of Lucretia,' and 'Fair Rosamond.'

In 1795, he was chosen to be an associate of the Royal Academy. This was an important recognition of his talent.

Thomas Williams, A Black Sailor, chalk and graphite on paper, 1815.

His very first painting shown at the Royal Academy in 1769 was a small oil portrait. His last one, shown in 1819, was called A late Princess personifying Peace crowning the glory of England reflected on Europe, 1815.

The British Museum bought many of his colored drawings in 1884. These included several portraits. He also created many beautiful drawings using red and black chalk. Some of his miniature portraits, which are very small paintings, are also well-known. Other artists, like Francesco Bartolozzi, made engravings of his works.